Polar Nights
by crystalline talisman
Summary: In order to arrange a treaty for the long standing war between the Water Tribe and Fire Nation, Prince Zuko is sent to the South Pole to arrange a truce by Fire Lord Lu Ten, where he is greeted by subzero temperatures, sea prunes, and quirky customs. This of course, is a cake walk compared to the revelation he'll be marrying the stubborn spiritual leader, Katara. AU. Zutara.
1. Chapter 1: Seasick

**Full Summary: **In order to end a long standing war between the Fire Nation and Water Tribe, Prince Zuko is sent to the frigid desert of the South Pole by his cousin Fire Lord Lu Ten, where he is greeted by subzero temperatures, polar nights, igloos, and lots and lots of sea prunes. Of course, it is also when he finds out he's to be wed to the hard-headed, spiritual leader Katara. And if that wasn't hard enough, he has to do it all with her overbearing brother leaning over his shoulder. Inspired by the question, "Why does Katara always have to go to Zuko in an arranged marriage fic?" AU. Zutara.

**A/N: **This is actually going to be one of my fun projects. I was planning on postponing this story, but I've got a good bit fleshed out and I couldn't wait. As much as I enjoy a good marriage fic with Katara and Zuko, it is pretty safe to say that there's a lot of them out there, and the overwhelming majority uproot Katara from what she knows to put her with Zuko as Fire Lady. Of course, traditionally this is correct (women are "given" to men), but I wanted to try something new and turn the tables, so to speak. Ages, as per usual, have been bumped up: Katara is 17, Zuko is 19, Sokka is 18, etc. Rated T for language, some minor sexuality, and implied themes. Now go on and read and review. :)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 1: Seasick

* * *

Zuko never liked traveling by sea; it made him sick to his stomach. Usually, his uncle Iroh would make him some tea to settle his stomach. Unfortunately, Iroh wasn't on this trip, and Zuko tended to steep the tea for too long if he made it. The prince prayed someone in the Water Tribe knew how to make a decent pot of tea.

"Now, now," his uncle said. "It gets very cold in the poles, so remember to concentrate. Focus your firebending, it will keep you warm. And stay indoors after dark. And don't go out past the city walls. And always bow, especially to the elders. The elders are very important. The mother of the chief is revered more than the chief himself in the Water Tribe."

And Zuko had thought keeping up with all the politics and nitty gritty demands of the Fire Nation were demanding.

"When you arrive, send word, so we'll know you made it in once piece. And let us know how negotiations are going. And please don't lose your temper." Iroh continued.

His uncle acted like this was his first time at politics. Well, technically, it was. Solo, anyway. He had ridden co-pilot to his uncle, cousin, and father many times before. But he knew the routine; get as much as you can for as little. It seemed counterintuitive to compromise, but that was politics.

Many times, Zuko had wondered how anyone could possibly volunteer for a life of politics. Such is the life of a prince of the Fire Nation, he supposed.

The ship buckled and the prince leaned over the edge of the ship, expelling his stomach's contents into the ocean. He felt queasy as he thought about it.

"Ugh," he groaned a bit. "Someone make me some tea."

* * *

When they finally reached the South Pole, a series of waterbenders lowered the icy gates. It reminded him of the North Pole; apparently the South Pole has suffered much destruction, but some waterbenders from the north had moved to help restore it after the the Water Tribes and Fire Nation reached a "cease fire."

He stood tall, going to walk off the ship and admiring the sight. It was actually quite beautiful, in an icy, frozen, can't-feel-any-of-your-extremities kind of way.

At the entrance stood four people; a man, tall with animal furs draped around him. His eyes looked weary and tired, and Zuko immediately pegged him to be the chief. To his left, a man - nearly a spitting image of him - with similar animal furs and war paint on his face, the son. Next to be chief. To his right, a young woman, with blue tattoos doing down the left side of her face and neck. She had beads and feathers woven into her hair, and wore a silver parka. Standing beside her was an older woman, bearing similar tattoos on her aged, leathery skin.

His uncle's reminder to pay respects to the elders first nagged at him. He walked to the elder woman and knelt to the ground, placing his forehead in the ground. She smiled a bit and nodded at the chief, then stepped back.

"Prince Zuko," he said. "We are honored to receive you. I am Chief Hakoda, that is my mother Kanna. Now, I present to you my son, Sokka, soon to be chief," the young warrior stepped forward and bowed his head a bit curtly, then stepped back. "And my daughter, Katara, our spiritual leader."

Katara gave a simple nod of the head, lowering herself a bit with by bending her knees, then stood straight back up. Zuko made a mental note that the spiritual leader seemed to hold an even higher honor than tribal chief himself.

"Come inside, we have icelily tea, and it is auspicious to have it before talks of treaties," Hakoda offered, going to walk towards a large palace of ice in the background.

The prince struggled to keep up, making a note that the soles of his iron boots were not receiving much traction on the frozen ground. He made another mental note that he would have to invest in some more practical footwear, then added to his notes to get a journal for all the notes he was taking.

"I do trust you will find your accommodations here at the South Pole suitable," Hakoda said. "We have prepared a room for you in our home."

Zuko bowed his head a bit low. "No, no, that won't be necessary, Chief Hakoda. I can stay on my ship."

The chief grew silent, and he could hear Katara sucking in air through her teeth. Sokka clapped a hand on his shoulder and whispered near his ear, "It is rude to turn down a generous act of hospitality."

"Apologies," he said quickly. "I would be honored to stay with you, if it wouldn't be a terrible imposition."

"Were it to have been one, we wouldn't have offered, Prince Zuko," the blue eyed female said plainly before pulling thick animal skin curtain draped over the front aside.

Zuko learned that negotiations were rather drawn out in the South Pole and could last up to two or three weeks. It probably explained why Lu Ten was unable to attend, as he could not afford to be so indisposed and away from the Fire Nation for that long.

After the tea, the tribal princess excused herself for meditations and the young warrior was instructed to give Zuko a brief tour of the palace. Everything was made of ice, except for things made of animal furs and skins.

Sokka led the prince to a room and pulled aside another thick, heavy pelt. "This is your room," he explained. "We will understand if you care to have your own guards stand outside the doors for your safety."

There was a small pit in the floor where some tinder was. A small table of ice was near the door, where a pitcher filled with water was. The bed was off the floor and carved of ice, layered with many animal pelts. In the ceiling, a small hole was carved in addition to several slits along the icy walls.

"Polar nights are coming," the warrior explained. "Soon, we'll need to rely on lanterns. Let us know if you need more animal skins - it does get rather cold at night. Dinner will be soon as well, you should wash up before then. The baths are across the hall. Someone will be back before dinner to escort you to the feast."

* * *

Night came sooner than Zuko expected, and as he was pulling on his boots, someone pulled the animal skin back and coughed to make their presence known. He frowned; didn't these people know privacy?

"You will simply freeze in those clothes, put these on." Katara said plainly, placing them on the bed beside him.

"It isn't necessar-" he went to respond. The look in her eye discouraged his natural response. "Thank you for your kindness, Lady Katara." He bowed at his waist, and she bowed her head a bit, then turned her back to face him.

"We haven't all night, please change," she said.

He cleared his throat. "Certainly, if you'll just-"

"There's no need for me to go outside, my back is already turned. I have seen a male body before, Prince Zuko, you will not be revealing any parts of anatomy I haven't seen before."

Was everyone here so blunt and forthcoming? "I beg your pardon, Lady Katara?"

"I'm a healer," she sighed impatiently, turning to see he had still not begun changing. "Do you need me to dress you as well, or are you capable of that on your own?"

Feisty, this one. Borderline rude, too. Maybe it was the nature of the South Pole. But then again, Hakoda and Sokka hadn't been this rude yet. Perhaps she was just having a bad day. Or so he hoped; he had a feeling with the Water Tribe, a peace negotiation could go awry if the spiritual leader wasn't on board.

"I'm ready," he said after he pulled the parka on over his head. The clothing did fit him a bit snuggly, and he wondered if they made them specifically for him or commandeered the clothes of another person. Either way, he was thankful for the extra layers, as he had grown a bit tired of trying to keep his body heat up with firebending.

She led him outside the palace - where it was significantly colder - then towards what looked to be an amphitheater of some sort. At the bottom was a miniature waterfall, and platform of ice; the rest of it was made of stairs and seats with a raised area that looked to be tables. In the middle was a covered portion with the symbol of the Water Tribe.

She stepped aside, and pushed him down to sit at an empty spot. "Sit here."

He moved up, making a note that Sokka was sitting beside him. The warrior gave him a stiff nod, then began eating quietly after nodding again at his grandmother. Zuko noticed Katara had sat to the right of her father and was chatting away with another girl sitting to her right. The girl wore a green parka and had short brown hair and heavy makeup.

His hand reached up to pick at the meat in front of him when Sokka slapped his hand. "You must ask the elder for permission first." The warrior jerked his head in the direction of his grandmother. "Just look at her and nod, and if she gives you permission, she'll nod back."

These people and their customs, Zuko mused to himself. He looked at Kanna and nodded, she looked at him for a moment, seeming to evaluate him in the parka, then nodded back. Finally.

He began to chew slowly on the food, deciding against inquiring as to what kind of meat it was. It was a bit salty, but it was surprisingly lean. He had heard Water Tribe food tended to be a bit fatty.

After he was well into his meal, Hakoda and Sokka began asking him questions about the Fire Nation and what agreements Zuko would like to reach. So this was where the negotiations were held; over dinner. He scoffed, as it seemed very informal.

"Well, I personally, would like to establish better trade routes. Animal skins and leathers from the Tribes are highly coveted in the Fire Nation; in exchange, we could offer you many resources that could be hard to come by here. Furthermore, I think our politics need a lateral move that would no longer make our nations seem divided, but unified," he explained. It was a recycled line; insert valuable resource, insert nation it applies to, insert unifying politics. It was the best thing to say without saying anything at all.

Hakoda nodded sternly. "I completely agree, which is why I believe that the agreement Fire Lord Lu Ten and I reached will definitely satisfy the goals and desires of the Fire Nation and the Southern Water Tribe. After we have reached an agreement, it will be easy to appease the North Pole as well."

Zuko swallowed hard. "Agreement? I beg your pardon, I'm confused. You already reached an agreement with Fire Lord Lu Ten?"

"Yes," he said slowly. "We agreed upon a marriage contract between you and my daughter. Were you not informed?"

The queasiness he felt from the ship suddenly returned.

* * *

_Posted: 06/13/2012_


	2. Chapter 2: Set Up

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 2: Set Up

* * *

Zuko learned that ink in the South Pole was not immune to freezing, so if he wanted to use it, he had to write the message rather quickly. Thankfully, he was a firebender, so all it took was a warm hand to thaw the ink. As per his uncle's request, he sat down after the feast to send word.

_Dear Uncle,_ _Thanks for sending me completely unprepared-_

No, that wouldn't do. He crumpled the paper and started again.

_Dear Uncle_, _What the hell were you thinking? _

Probably not that either.

_Dear Uncle, Though it came as an unsuspecting surprise, thank you for setting me up with the lovely Lady Katara. I arrived safely, by the way. Please advise on further details. -Zuko_

He had no doubts his uncle would "read between the lines" on this one.

He sat up and stretched, pulling off the heavy parka and going to light the tinder in the pit. When the parka came off his head, the tribal princess stood only a few gaps of air before him, arms folded and eyes blazing with anger.

"Let me assure you of something, Prince Zuko," she thrusted a slender finger in his face. "I will never love you. I might grow to tolerate your company, but love? No. Not even close."

"Likewise," he said hotly. "Make no mistake, I had no intentions of ever being wed to, well, someone like yourself. But I love my people and I understand the importance of this war needing to come to a peaceful resolution. So I'll tolerate it."

The young woman had a look of shock cross her face, and Zuko reasoned no one had ever spoke so disrespectfully towards her before. She quickly recovered, clearing her throat and placing a hand on her hip. "Don't make the mistake of thinking you're the only one who loves their people. If I really didn't want this marriage, I would end it immediately because I have that authority, but it would bring peace to our people, so I'm dealing with it."

As she mentioned her authority and power to end the marriage, the prince noticed her eyes skirt a little to the left of him; she wasn't following through with the tell-tale sign of lying by looking down or up, but she still couldn't look him in the eye. She definitely didn't have the authority to end this marriage, which meant somebody else arranged it. Zuko felt tempted to call her out on her bluff, but decided against it. He would store that ammo for a future date.

"If you say so, Kaya," he shrugged, intentionally getting her name wrong.

Her eyes darkened for a moment, then she flicked her wrist at him absently. "Whatever. In order to make this arrangement pleasant for the both of us, and to appease the spirits, we will need to do things right. Learn our customs. Our elders will teach you the wedding ritual and fit you for your wedding attire beginning tomorrow. So don't fuck this up."

He narrowed his eyes at her. If she wanted to play rough, then she was in for a treat.

"And I suggest you prepare yourself," Katara said, stopping at the doorway. "It's going to be a long, cold winter."

* * *

Pakku was the husband of Kanna, but since he was not the father of Hakoda, he did not hold a seat of power. He was simply an advisor, undoubtedly out of respect for Kanna's recent remarriage, but also because he was an esteemed waterbending master. And today, he was Zuko's teacher about the customs Water Tribe.

"The Tribal system you will find is most likely different from the Royal system of the Fire Nation. And even in the South Pole, it varies from the North. Here in the South, tribal chiefs are elected. Sokka was not necessarily going to be the next leader, however, he showed extreme valor in battle at the Battle of Crescent Island. Therefore, he was elected to serve under his father's tutelage to learn about becoming a tribal chief. When his father passes or abdicates the position, he will step in. All members of the Water Tribe are eligible to be elected or removed from their position at any point as tribal chief, though impeachment has never happened before." he explained. "Contrarily in the North, the Tribal system is a bit closer to a Royal system and passes through bloodlines."

Zuko nodded his head to show Pakku he was following along, then asked, "What about the spiritual leader?"

"Ah, yes. Katara reached this position through birthright. Her grandmother was spiritual leader when she was born, and since she is the most direct female descendant of her grandmother, she inherited the right. She served under apprenticeship as the spiritual leader and just recently became the leader after Kanna retired. Being the husband of the spiritual leader is the highest honor a man can have in the Water Tribe; I would know. You should feel privileged."

Yeah, he felt privileged alright; privileged to be marrying a stubborn, hot-headed, unreasonable woman who made a Komodo dragon sound cuddly. "So spiritual leaders are females that earn it through birth, and tribal chiefs are elected?"

"Yes. In this case, Katara is both a tribal princess and a spiritual leader, and that can happen, but sometimes the tribal princess and spiritual leader can be different women."

That's not confusing or anything, Zuko mused to himself sarcastically. "Do all women have the-" he motioned to the right side of his face with his finger.

"While people of the Fire Nation consider tattoos to be defacing the body, the Water Tribe considers the markings to be holy. Katara's markings denote her as the highest spiritual authority in the tribe, and as such her wisdom can be more revered than even her father depending on the circumstances," the white haired man snapped defensively. Zuko suspected the marriage contract was not a circumstance in which her "wisdom" outranked her father's.

A young girl missing both of her upper front teeth ran into the small room, clenching a scroll in her hand. "Prince _Thuko_," she wheezed as she gasped for air. "You got a letter from the Fire _Nathon_."

He eyed her for a minute cautiously then took the scroll delicately. It was from Iroh.

_Prince Zuko, We are glad to hear everything at the South Pole will work out splendidly. We will be headed there in preparations for the wedding shortly. Stay warm! - Uncle_

Zuko felt himself seething a bit with anger; how could his uncle treat things so cavalier? This entire thing was thrown onto him and no one dared to inform him. He could feel his entire body growing hot when he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head. Pakku sat, arms folded and looked satisfied with himself. A Water Tribe peasant dared to lay a hand on him?

"Control yourself, boy. We cannot have you melting all the architecture here with your firebending and childish temper."

* * *

He stood leaning outside a small hut, or rather igloo, arms crossed. The seamstress lived here, and he was waiting his turn to be fitted for his wedding attire.

All he did here in the South Pole was wait on other people. In the Fire Nation, people waited for _him_. But oddly enough, it wasn't even just because of his nationality; it was the entire culture. He noticed Hakoda, Sokka, and Katara all waited patiently for their lunch to be served, to be escorted places - even to be permitted to eat. The only person who didn't wait was Kanna. It would appear things would only look up when he got very, very old, if he was able to survive the miserable cold.

"So you're the new outsider here," a female voice joked. Zuko looked over his left shoulder to see a tall girl in a green parka; the same one Katara was talking to last night. "My name is Suki."

"Prince Zuko," he replied.

She gave a small smile. "I know it's weird but you'll grow to like it."

"What's weird?" Zuko asked.

"Leaving your home to come get married here, the South Pole, the food, everything really. My husband is Sokka," Suki explained. "For me, aside from the cold, the hardest part is when they use that weird little language of theirs. Katara and Sokka, I mean."

Every time she answered a question, three more popped up. While curious as to how a girl from the Earth Kingdom ended up married to likes of the Water Tribe chieftain's son, he decided against inquiring and settled on a different question: "What language?"

"I wouldn't say it's a language, per se, but more of a code. Katara and Sokka use it when they don't want anyone to know what they're saying. Almost like a twin language, but not really. It's kind of weird, actually, but cute, too. I wish I had one." She grew quiet for a moment, then opened her mouth again, "Well, it looks like you're next. Don't be afraid to be a little assertive with Miksa." Suki observed as a young girl walked out of the room.

"Miksa?" he asked, pulling aside the beaded curtain.

"The seamstress; she's a little eccentric and tends to get carried away."

"Where is Prince Kozu! I am waiting!" a shrill voice demanded, and he prayed to the spirits he had enough patience to last through his fitting.

"It's Zuko," he corrected, to which she waved her hand.

"Yes, yes, that's what I said. Prince Kozu!"

He sighed and opened his mouth to correct her, but decided against it.

The woman was elderly, and but her eyes were a sharp blue. She began looking over Zuko as he entered the igloo much like he imagined a predator did her prey, scratching her chin with her fingers. "Hm. You're taller than I expected. And skinny, too skinny. You need to eat more meat." She reached up and pinched his cheek.

He turned his head to follow her as she circled him, resembling a vulture, before she reached out with a measuring stick and pushed his head forward. "Stop fidgeting, it is unbecoming of a grown man. My triplet great-grandchildren sit stiller than you, and they're 4 years old."

He made a face, but stopped moving as he thought Suki had been kind with her earlier description of Miksa. The woman clearly seemed to be a little unhinged and he didn't want to tempt her to use the measuring stick as a weapon.

"Now, you will have five changes throughout the wedding-"

"Five!" he asked. A Fire Nation wedding didn't have changes in wardrobe. Unless the bride's attire was incredibly ornate and delicate, there was only the original attire worn.

"Yes, five." she said simply, and he recognized the same condescending tone he heard throughout the South Pole. Was it something in the water? "You must have an outfit for each day."

An outfit for each day? Five days? The wedding lasted five days? His eyes grew even wider. Just what exactly had his uncle and Lu Ten got him into?

The woman began cackling and slapped him on the shoulder with the measuring stick sharply. He winced in pain, biting his lip to keep from groaning in pain.

"I'm just kidding, Prince Kozu. The wedding is one day. The celebration after the wedding, however, lasts a week. So yes, you'll need over a week's worth of clothing in addition to casual wear after. Our traditional wedding colors are silver and purple, and your clothing will obviously be as such. However, I was told to dye your casual attire in red much like I did for Lady Suki."

"Who told you to do that?" he asked when he felt her shove him sharply with the measuring stick again.

"Stand up straight and stop talking. You're making this difficult."

Where, oh, where was the ale and bourbon he had grown so found of in the Fire Nation?

* * *

That night, there was another feast.

"We don't normally feast like this," Sokka explained. "But it is part of celebrating a wedding."

"I thought there was a celebration after the wedding," Zuko replied.

The blue eyed warrior looked at him dumbly. "Of course there is. We celebrate the engagement, then the wedding. Duh."

Oh, how foolish of me, Zuko thought to himself. The prince began massaging his temples. He thought dealing with his traditions were a nightmare; now it seemed like something as simple as tea in the afternoon. And worst of all, he felt like a slave that had been sold to the highest bidder.

Katara had a look of triumph on her face, whispering in Suki's ear. The girl in green looked at him for a moment, then back to Katara and whispered something back. They began laughing, and Zuko found himself admiring his fiancée's laugh; it was soft and slightly twinkly, and her eyes crinkled up in really a cute kind of -

"Pass," he muttered to himself. Pretty she may be, but he was most certainly not interested in her; she was like a rose with poisoned thorns that would inflict a painful death.

"Eh?" Sokka asked, his mouth full.

Zuko shook his head to dismiss the thought. If Katara was enjoying putting him through the tortures and trials of the Water Tribe, he would enjoy putting her through his own trials.

"Chief Hakoda, I was informed to ask for a slight renegotiation of terms."

The man's shoulders twitched and he looked at Zuko. "You want to renegotiate the terms of our peace?" he asked slowly.

"Don't misunderstand, it is nothing extreme, but for a marriage to be recognized in the Fire Nation, it must be carried out according to traditions in the Fire Nation. No disrespect, of course, to your culture or traditions. The way you carry out the ceremony pays respect to your spirits, and the way we carry ours respects ours. I think in the interest of showing the unity and respect between both the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe, we should hold a ceremony in both nations to show that we both are taking a step forward laterally towards uniting our politics and solidifying our alliances," he explained, his eyes trained on Katara.

The chief stared at Zuko for a moment, then inhaled sharply. "So let me get this straight; you want to get married - twice?"

Maybe he shouldn't have asked...

He began laughing heartily, slapping Zuko on the back. "It's your wedding; if you want to get married twice, then why the hell not? You're the one who has to do it! Hey, Katara, looks like you're getting two weddings. We shall see if those Fire Nation nobles know how to celebrate like we do!"

The blue eyed girl snapped her attention directly to Zuko and mouthed, "I'll get you later for this."

He narrowed his eyes and mouthed back, "Bring it on."

* * *

_Posted: 06/14/2012_


	3. Chapter 3: War Paint

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 3: War Paint

* * *

After the festivities and being escorted back to his room, Zuko decided to sneak out for a little firebending practice. He made his way to the exit of the city in order to reach the deck of his ship. It was the only place that wouldn't just melt into a puddle, and the Water Tribe was rather particular about their architecture. And he had to admit he would feel bad if he did melt down half the palace.

"You shouldn't be here," Suki said, holding a lantern as the prince tried to make his way towards the iron ship. "It's late, and there are dangerous creatures. Plus, a blizzard could set in. I know that the Fire Nation has monsoons, but those are like a vacation compared to the South Pole."

"You've been to the Fire Nation before?" he asked, going to lean against the bridge. As a Fire Nation prince, he wouldn't have ever found himself speaking to a simple Earth Kingdom peasant, but she was the only other person there who wasn't from the Water Tribe. Knowing she had gone through an uprooting of her own made talking to her a bit cathartic in its own ways.

The girl nodded a bit, putting her hood up as the wind began howling some. "Once, many years ago. I'm originally from Kyoshi Island." That explained the makeup.

"And how did you end up here, married to uh," his mind racked his brain for his future brother-in-law's name.

"Sokka," she supplied. "It's kind of a long story, but he and I met during trade season. The South Pole and Kyoshi Island trade a lot since they're such close neighbors. Anyway, he was really rude to me because I'm a female warrior, and then the next thing you know-"

"Marriage contract?"

Suki's face contorted. "What? Not even close, he asked me to teach him how to fight. Sokka and I got married because we're in love; the only thing is I can't stay here all the time. I have an obligation to the Kyoshi Warriors as their leader, so I have to divide my time. I'm actually only here for the wedding."

Marriages for love weren't unheard of in the Fire Nation; they were actually quite common for most of its citizens. But nobles usually underwent political marriages; his father did, his uncle did, his cousin did, his grandfather, and he expected his sister would as well soon after his own marriage.

He expected all nobility and royalty to undergo similar marriages, so he was quite surprised to find out the future chief and his wife, a girl from Kyoshi Island no less, were simply two people who fell in love. They weren't just two people who got caught up in war and politics, not like him and Katara. He felt a pang of jealousy. Zuko always expected he would go through a political marriage, but at least to a girl in the Fire Nation. Actually, he expected it would have been to Mai. People always said he and Mai were "compatible."

The wind began howling again. "We should go indoors," Suki suggested. "Besides, you have to be up early tomorrow for the Warrior Games."

"Warrior Games? What are the Warrior Games?"

* * *

"The Warrior Games are what every man must engage in before marrying his bride. He must prove to the Tribe, her, her family, and the spirits that he is deserving of her and will provide for her and her family," Pakku explained as Sokka added water to a bowl and mixed the powdered rocks inside it with his fingers to create paint. "Of course, you've already been pre-arranged to marry Katara, so this is more or less of a formality - but don't take it lightly. You will want to prove yourself or, delicately put, it won't bode well. If the spirits are displeased enough, they won't accept the marriage and we'll have to terminate the contract."

Was terminating the contract really such a bad thing? Then again, his nation had lost enough people, and he didn't want to imagine the shit storm that would follow him if he got sent home, single.

Sokka sat in front of Zuko, pressing a thumb to his lips thoughtfully. To his right, a two larges bowls of white and black war paint placed on a stool. Pakku stood to Sokka's left, giving the Fire Nation prince the same scrutinizing look.

"Are we doing a Warrior's Wolfbat or a Warrior's Sabertooth Mooselion?" Sokka asked, turning his head sideways.

"Do the Wolfbat," Pakku said decisively.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Zuko asked as Sokka selected the black paint from the stool.

"We're painting your face, duh," he replied simply.

Zuko leaned his head back, not wanting anyone to come anywhere near his face. "I don't think so."

"It's a custom; we paint our faces with images of great animals in the world so that the spirits will bless us with strength of those animals," Sokka explained. "But if you don't want to go through with it, that's quite alright. I'm sure the Fire Nation would love to hear about how their great prince can't be bothered to-"

The prince cleared his throat, "How long is this going to take?"

The two tribesmen exchanged looks of annoyance, and Sokka said, "As long as it needs to. Now don't move."

The war paint was thick and heavy, and he wondered if this was what Suki's makeup felt like. He opened his mouth to ask how much longer, but his fiancée's brother quickly shouted at him to stop fidgeting. Patience was clearly not a virtue of the Southern Water Tribe.

After what seemed like an eternity of sitting still, he was placed in traditional warrior's clothing that actually fit him. Apparently he had graduated from hand-me-downs to his own clothing. Attached was a note from Miksa instructing him not to ruin the clothes. He felt highly motivated to oblige the demands as he dreaded any future visits to the slightly deranged fossil.

"Now, you have to complete a challenge and it is very important," Sokka explained. "The first is called 'The Offer;' you have to swim to the bottom of a lake and retrieve a moonstone that you will carve a betrothal necklace from."

"A betrothal neckl-"

"And the second challenge is called 'The Plea;' you have to defeat the other challengers in hand to hand combat. The last part is 'The Acceptance,' which is a ceremony in which she will agree to marry you if she is satisfied by your moonstone and you complete the other challenge successfully."

* * *

When he was finally shoved outside to complete the twenty minute walk to the lake, he discovered the sun was setting; polar nights, they called them in the Water Tribe. It happened when there were days that the sun would not even rise. This was also the time when winter was the harshest, and blizzards were known to set in at any time.

All concerns of the weather were pushed to the back of his mind when everyone finally arrived at the destination. Sokka led him to a large oval-shaped hole in the ice that was about the size of his ship. Beneath it, dark blue water sat still and looked threateningly at him.

"We call this Lunar Lake," the warrior explained. "All moonstones from the South Pole come from this lake; you will carve a betrothal necklace from the stone you select of this lake. Be wise, it is very important you pick a good stone."

Like I care what kind of stone she likes, Zuko lamented to himself. "Right," he pretended to go along.

"If she does not like the stone, she will throw it back in the lake and you must start again." Sokka continued.

Great, so he actually had to try. Plus, he had a feeling Katara would make this as painful and drawn out as possible.

"How will I know if it's a good stone?" he asked.

Sokka slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand. "It must be firm, but not too hard; if it is too hard, it will not carve, but if it is too soft, it will not be durable. The color you will have to determine at the surface. It's very important that it doesn't have black streaks or stress fractures in the stone, or it will be no good. And you may want to strip down; it is hard to swim in the water if you have bulky clothing on."

"Oh, so the water is heated," Zuko nodded as he stepped to the water's edge and began tugging off his parka.

The warrior laughed a bit, "Heated? Don't be silly, the lake is too big to heat. Just keep moving, you'll be fine."

The firebender gulped a bit; were they actually trying to kill him outright, or was it just pure negligence for his well-being? He saw the other warriors stripped to lower bindings and a skin tight shirt. They quickly dove into the water and he turned to see Sokka, arms folded and mouthing, "Go." When he still hadn't budged from his position, the blue eyed man gave him an aggressive shove face first into the water.

Frigid was a kind word to use to describe the temperature of the water, it was in all actuality a gross understatement. As soon as he crashed into the water, it felt like thousands of little tiny needles were prickling his skin. He was a firebender, he had an advantage compared to the others; he steadied his breathing and concentration to keep his internal temperature warm.

He held his breath, swimming to the bottom of the water and digging around for this moonstone. After a few moments, he suddenly became aware of how he should have asked just exactly _what_ a moonstone looked like. Feeling short on breath, the firebender went to surface when a luminous blue glint caught his eye. He reached down and plucked the rock, then kicked up towards the surface.

He gasped for air when he reached it, using his forearm to wipe away the salty water from his stinging eyes. He held the stone up, examining it. A series of black streaks cut through the middle and Sokka's reminder that there were to be no streaks rang in his mind. He dropped the stone and took in a deep breath before diving back under.

Another glowing blue stone; he picked it up but it quickly turned to jelly in his hand. Too soft. Part of him wondered if he should even put in the effort; Katara would probably just keep throwing stones back in the water and hoped he would die of hypothermia. At this point, Zuko himself considered dying of hypothermia as well; it would be an honorable death compared to the rest of it.

The prince was close to throwing in the towel when he saw a glimmer that caught his eye. He reached out, picking the stone up. It wasn't pudding like the last stone, but the color would be hard to determine at the nearly pitch black lake bottom. Zuko pushed towards the top of the lake, choking on the air as he pulled himself towards the edge.

Pakku grabbed him with an gloved hand, dragging him across the ice and draped an animal skin over his shivering body. "You're the second to last out, you better have a good stone," he chided.

"Let me see," Sokka said, pulling Zuko's arm out and looking at the stone he was clutching in his hand. "Hey, Gramp-" he began, a stern look from the man causing him to close his mouth quickly. "Uh, Pakku, uh, sir, check it out."

The waterbending master looked at the stone, then gave a nod of approval to Hakoda. He pulled the prince up to his feet and shoved him forward towards the covered awning where Katara stood. The brunette was tapping her foot impatiently, as if to say, 'You sure took your sweet time.'

The firebender stumbled clumsily towards the girl and held out the stone in his palm, his eyes giving her a threatening look. He smiled a bit at her, saying through gritted teeth, "Accept it, or go swim and find your own damned rock."

She opened her mouth to reply but closed it after taking the stone. She held it up to the sky, examining the shimmer and glint of the stone. It was blue, nearly matching the tribal princess's cerulean eyes, with a luminescent sparkle to it; she sucked in air through her teeth and when she glanced back to meet his eyes, he knew she was impressed - even if she didn't want to admit it.

"I guess it will do."

Stubborn bitch.

* * *

"The fight will be tomorrow, but you should start designing the betrothal necklace you're going to give her," Sokka explained as he waited for Zuko to dress for dinner outside his room. "It's important every Water Tribe bride have a betrothal necklace; the time a warrior dedicates to carving the necklace represents only a fraction of the dedication he plans to devote to his wife. Very important."

"Isn't she already wearing one?" Zuko asked flatly.

"Uh, well, I'm, uh, surprised you noticed." he answered the firebender dumbly. "But that was our mother's; it's important you carve your own."

Zuko stepped out from his room, pulling the thick gloves onto his hands. "Whatever you say."

The two men walked silently towards the amphitheater when a young man called Sokka's attention. "What is it Hahn?" he snapped, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "Wait a sec - Suki, could you please show Zuko to the amphitheater?"

"I know where it is-" the golden eyed man went to respond.

"It's customary for all guests of the Water Tribe to be escorted. When you become part of the Tribe, you won't be escorted any longer," Suki explained.

Zuko sighed a bit dramatically but nodded, following the female warrior as she chatted away. After observing the interactions between Katara and Suki, it seemed she was a close confidant of the spiritual leader. Perhaps it was in his best interest to befriend the Earth Kingdom girl after all, even if she _did_ talk a little too much...

"Good job at the Games today," she complimented. "I know the Games are rough, but it means a lot to the Water Tribe that you're trying. Maybe Katara will put forth the same effort when she goes to the Fire Nation for the second wedding."

"Second wedding?" he replied absently.

"You know, the one you asked about at dinner last night?" she said.

"Oh, that. Yes. Well, thank you. If you don't find it so bold of me to say, I'm surprised your husband has been so welcoming of me here. In my experience, in-laws aren't usually so welcoming in the Fire Nation," he said.

Suki laughed a bit. "Well, if you don't find it so bold of me to say, Sokka wants to gut you and serve you to the whales. But Gran Gran forbids it if he ever wants to be chief and Hakoda is constantly pressuring him to remain cordial. A chief has to be respectful, even in the face of his enemies, or his enemy-turned-brother-in-law."

"Then why is he always showing me around and telling me what to do for these ridiculo-" he stopped and cleared his throat. "Intricate challenges."

She shrugged a bit, going to step aside and allow him to walk down the steps of the amphitheater. "Someone has to. The Water Tribe isn't going to expect you to know everything about their customs, of course. Katara taught me when I came, but Sokka and Pakku have been assigned to be your teachers in a way; Pakku's more of an expert on the cultural things and why stuff is the way it is, where Sokka is more of the go-to-guy for how to impress the family and the challenges. But I think they're warming up to you; it's gone from blind hatred to basic intolerance. At least I think so anyway."

"Lovely," he muttered to himself.

* * *

_Posted: 06/15/2012_


	4. Chapter 4: Good Luck Charm

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 4: Good Luck Charm

* * *

This time, Sokka decided to paint a sabertooth mooselion on Zuko's face; while the name sounded much more complicated than a wolfbat, the painting time was drastically shorter than the previous day's.

He felt exhausted from how parties dragged into the late evening, well beyond midnight; the tribespeople danced after dinner to the beat of drums, no matter how cold it was, and even Katara herself engaged in the merriment. Actually, he had been the only to sit out from the festivities. He closed his eyes, remembering the flow of her parka, the twirl of her hair, and the jingle of the beads and jewelry that adorned her hair, clothes, and body...

A firm slap on the side of his head jostled him awake. "Are you listening to me? I'm explaining something critical here."

It seemed the siblings shared a sense of self-importance. He scoffed mentally to himself, but nodded at his future brother-in-law.

"You have my undivided attention," he replied, a tinge of sarcasm laced in his response.

Sokka narrowed his eyes, but appeared to have chosen to ignore the tone and continue instructing, "This is all hand-to-hand combat. You're lucky, too. A few years ago, weapons were still allowed. No matter how we told them to fight only until they had another at a position in which he would yield, there was always an injury. Eyes poked out, lungs punctured, the occasional severed limb. When I went through my trials, they still used weapons. Thankfully, my trusty boomerang," he patted his side with his clean hand, "and I won a clean and flawless victory."

"I think you and I remember things differently, Sokka," his wife chided, setting down a plate of food behind him. "He almost lost his eye."

"My wife, always shooting down my dreams," he looked a bit starry eyed for a moment, then wiped his hands clean on a piece of cloth. "Let a man have his fantasy."

She kissed his cheek, leaving a faint red stain on his bronzed skin before trying to rub it off with her thumb. Her husband wasted no time in beginning to peel meat off the ribs she had set down, a look of pure satisfaction crossing his face. Zuko surprisingly found himself mesmerized by the plate; it was covered in decadent meats and garnished with a bowl of steaming stew. Pakku forced him out of bed this morning for his lessons of tradition, saying he had awakened too late for breakfast and they were on a deadline.

The prince reached his hand out but Sokka knocked his hand away. "You'll get sick in the fight if you're on a full stomach. Don't worry, Father and I are going seal hunting while you fight. We're gonna have a huge feast tonight to celebrate, even if you don't win."

* * *

He stood outside the amphitheater, watching as waterbenders extended and thickened the icy platform before the fight. He felt like a gladiator waiting for his match.

Many years ago, the Fire Nation hosted gladiator games in which warriors, prisoners, and any who dared enter the arena would fight. Aside from being a royalty or nobility, being a gladiator was the highest honor one could have. The games were, however, outlawed by Avatar Roku a few hundred years ago, so all that remained was a ruined colosseum.

Zuko felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see a girl in a blue parka behind him. Her arms were folded and she had a scowl on her face, eyes glancing a bit upwards at the moon.

"Can I help you?" he asked dryly.

She swallowed, and rotated her head to look at him as if it were painful for her to do so. "It is customary for the bride to bestow her groom with a.. token of luck. A good luck charm, you know." Katara explained, hooking her index finger around a small braid and replacing it behind her ear.

"Is it?" Zuko said, the corner of his mouth turning up a bit in amusement.

She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. He had to give her credit, she was really trying to contain her temper. Unfortunately for her, he wasn't going to make it easy.

"Well? I'm waiting," he said plainly, holding out his hand.

The young girl shoved a hand into hair and plucked a silver pin with a small jewel on it. A bit of her hair came spilling down over her shoulder as she thrusted it into his palm. "There. Don't die. Bye."

"Wait just a moment," Zuko said, grabbing her by the arm gently. "I want your necklace."

She moved her hand immediately to her throat, as if she were shielding it from prying eyes. "No."

"You said I needed to put effort into this; I'm doing your silly little custom out of respect for this treaty. The least you could do is not give me a half-assed attempt at a good luck charm. I know it's your mother's necklace; I promise no harm will befall it, but if I'm going to try, so are you!" he snapped at her.

The prince searched his fiancée's eyes before her hand reached around her throat and unfastened the clasp. She dropped the necklace in his palm and he closed his hand around the piece of jewelry. He opened his mouth to thank her when her hand shot out and grabbed him by the collar of his parka.

"If you lose that, or break it, or anything happens-"

"I'll regret it, yeah, yeah," he interrupted.

She gave a bitter laugh. "I'll make your insides your outsides, your outsides your insides, and return you to the Fire Nation in a jewelry box," she shoved him backwards, then stalked off.

"Your words wound me, Katriona!" he shouted.

She screamed in frustration and stomped her foot, one of the pots sculpted from ice exploding as she passed by it.

* * *

There had been three warriors along with him in this challenge; he expected the warriors to all be pitted equally against each other, and he would be able to take them down one at a time. But as soon as he set foor on the ice, all three men took off running full force at him. He growled a bit and glared at his future bride; this was just a glorified three-on-one match, and she was completely entertained.

He returned his vision to look ahead of him just to see a figure with outstretched arms run straight into him. He hit the solid ground hard, but his entire body was so numb from the cold he didn't fully register the pain. The warrior was thin, and struggled to keep Zuko pinned to the ice. When the prince began to tear out from under him, the man grasped onto a fistful of black hair and the prince cried out in pain.

As he wrestled for dominance, Zuko remembered what his uncle told him once: "Fights aren't always about brute strength; they can be about tactics. Fight smarter, not harder. Be aware of your surroundings, take advantage of an enemy's weakness, and use his strengths against him."

He moved his head, giving the warrior an aggressive headbutt followed by jabbing his knee into his attacker's stomach. The grey eyed man rolled to his side, groaning and rubbing his forehead in agony and mumbling, "Yield."

Zuko scrambled to his feet, slipping on the ice and falling forward again, cutting his lip. A roar of laughter could be heard and he looked up to see Katara covering her mouth with a gloved hand. Focus, he shouted at himself as he steadied himself and tried to get up.

A blur of blue caught the corner of his eye and he rolled to his left just in time to avoid getting sacked to the ground again by another warrior. The man screamed in frustration and started to charge at him again. Zuko watched, looking around. The ice was slippery; if he could just get the warrior to a patch of ice he would fall and the firebender could get the upper hand.

As he started to shift towards the center of the ring, a pair of strong, muscular arms wrapped around his torso, pinning his arms to his side. This can't be fair, he groaned to himself as he attempted to wiggle free. The man in front of him reached to his side, pulling a bone dagger from a sheath.

His eyes grew wide and he began struggling and thrashing about to get loose when he saw a jet of water crash into the man approaching him. The man's hand was frozen to the back wall of the arena and Zuko felt the grasp around him loosen. The man behind him fell to his knees and pressed his head to the ground.

"Forgive us! We just... we couldn't bare the thought-"

"Not another word," Katara breathed, picking up the dagger and handing it to a guard as they stepped onto the arena to take away the other men.

She had actually saved his life; he wasn't sure whether to thank her, or pinch himself and make sure he wasn't dreaming. The firebender looked up to see her father, a disgruntled look on his face.

"You!" the blue eyed girl barked. "Come now!"

He cleared his throat and ran as fast as he could over the ice, stumbling and trying regain his balance.

"I haven't got all day, hurry up!" she fussed, going into the tunnel that led to the entrance of the amphitheater. He followed her, wondering what it was she wanted. Was it her necklace? He reached in his pocket; still intact. The firebender exhaled a sigh of relief. Thank the spirits.

He watched as she grabbed a bowl and faced away from him. "Sit," she instructed. "Take off your clothes."

"I beg your pardon?" he asked. "You can't just yell at me and expect me to do whatever you say."

"And yet, you're already sitting and you followed me in here," Katara replied. "I'm trying to heal you, but if you want to just walk around with bruises and cuts then fine by me. Sorry I offer-"

He inhaled sharply. "Alright, alright, calm down." Zuko pulled the parka off his head and loosened his shirt.

He watched as she used a piece of cloth to tie her hair back, then turned around and pulled some water from a bowl. Katara made a shimmering blue glove from the hand and pressed it to his shoulder, where it was already discolored from the impact against the ice.

"You're a waterbender," he commented as she worked.

"What did you think I meant by healing?" she sighed as if it had been obvious. "Stop talking now, you're making it hard to concentrate."

"Or what?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Gonna freeze me or something?"

She rolled her eyes, "Alright, bleed out for all I care, I'm done." She flicked her wrist to return the water to the bowl.

He groaned a bit and looked upwards, as if it was painful. "Okay, I'll be quiet."

She folded her arms, and looked at him plainly. "Apologize."

"Excuse me?" he said, looking back at her.

"Apologize, and I'll finish."

The firebender folded his arms in response. What a stubborn, entitled brat. He absolutely was not going to apologize to this Water Tribe, conceited, haughty, disrespectful wannabe princess.

Katara shrugged her shoulders. "Alright; see you at dinner."

"Wait!" he sighed and bit his lower lip. "I-"

"Yes?" she looked expectantly at him.

"I'msorry," he coughed into his hand. "There I said it."

She flipped the hair spilling over her shoulder behind her and brushed a few flakes of snow off her parka. "I couldn't understand you."

"I'm," he mumbled. "Sorry," he finally exhaled. "There, okay? Satisfied?"

"Immensely." Katara pulled the water back around her hand, smiling triumphantly as she continued healing Zuko.

His eyes running over the blue tattoos lining the edge of her face while her eyes remained concentrated on her work, lips parting a bit. She chewed on her lower lip as she concentrated and after a moment, her tongue darted out to lick her upper lip. He noticed Sokka did the same thing when he was putting war paint on the firebender's face.

"So why did you intervene?" he asked after a moment.

Her cobalt eyes darted to his amber ones, then refocused on his shoulder. "I told you I love my people. If you die, the deal is off. We can't afford anymore casualties. I'll suck it up and marry you before I tell my people to prepare for war again." She moved her hand to his lip for a moment, then returned the water to the bowl. "All done with the healing, now sit still for a moment and tie your hair all together again for me so I can check something."

"Well, thanks," he said dryly, referring to her former comment. "Glad I'm worth 'sucking up to.'"

She moved around behind him, examining his head and he wondered if she was checking where his hair was pulled.

"Don't pretend you enjoy marrying me. I've been honest with you, the least you can do is be honest back."

"Oh, sure," he shrugged. "I'm not too fond to be marrying a girl with wild animals in her hair and everything, but I'm polite enough to keep it to myself. But you know, I just remembered something- what the hell did you just do!" he shouted as his head suddenly felt lighter. His hand reached back and he became aware his fiancée had cut off _all_ of his hair in one swift move.

"It wasn't practical, that warrior yanked your hair like a rope. With all the things here, extra long hair is very dangerous for some of the things men do. Especially the way you had it," she explained cooly, going to fling the hair away and turning to pull her gloves back on.

Zuko was tempted to scream at the top of his lungs, but restrained himself. No, he'd get even a different way that was better than a simple shouting match.

He narrowed his eyes, coming behind her draping the necklace around her throat, whispering in her ear. "Didn't you want this back? Well good luck now."

"My mother's necklace! Give me that!" she shouted, going to reach for it as he pulled it away.

"As soon as you say, 'I'm sorry for being rude to you and cutting your hair without your permission like the disrespectful girl I am, Prince Zuko,'" he held the necklace up in the air, well beyond her reach.

She gritted her teeth and began jumping at the necklace. "Don't forget I'm a waterbender, surrounded by water!"

"Don't forget I'm a firebender, capable of turning your petty little attempts of attacks into nothing," he stretched his arm out, placing his hand on her forehead as she lept up and tried to grab the necklace. "I can do this all day."

"Katara!"

"Prince Zuko!" two voices shouted the different names simultaneously. The bickering pair turned to see Kanna and Iroh, arms folded and shaking their heads.

The waterbender shoved the firebender, "Look what you did now, dragon breath."

* * *

_Posted: 06/16/2012_

**A/N: **I wanted to thank everyone for all the positive feedback I'm getting to this story so far. It's been overwhelming and I appreciate it. I'm drawing a lot of inspiration from different media to try and create this culture that's in the Water Tribe, but I'm having a lot of fun because I'm not competing with a lot of fanon.

I do have a plot I'm following (or attempting to, lol), but I want this fic to be fun; I don't want it to be clinical or sterile by any means, and by way of that, I want to make sure you guys know your suggestions may be considered for details, twists, characters, and any other things I start contributing to the story. I won't promise you'll get to see something you suggested word-for-word, but I do read your reviews and often, they can inspire me in different ways. Plus, I'm very open to answering questions so you are always free to ask questions about characters, and I'll be happy to answer them without giving any spoilers away!

So please, do keep reviewing. And of course, thank you to the people who have added my story to their alerts or favorites and an even greater honor - those who added me as an favorite author or author alert. You guys know how to make a girl feel like a star. :)


	5. Chapter 5: Third Time Is the Charm

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 5: Third Time Is the Charm

* * *

"Katara," Kanna said, then turned around and walked out of the room. The waterbender dropped her attention from Zuko and chased after her, head tucked down and calling apologies after her.

His uncle walked quickly to him and sighed a bit. "I can't believe- this was a terrible idea. I'm sorry for putting you through this, Prince Zuko. We are going to go calmly explain our position, call off the wedding, then leave."

"I... don't have to marry her?" he asked hesitantly. "R-really?"

He wasn't sure why he was so surprised; he knew he shouldn't be. His uncle was loyal to him, and Katara had clearly stepped - no, glaringly vaulted over - a line.

"Of course, nephew. I'm going to explain things to Lady Kanna and Chief Hakoda promptly-"

"Katara, you are the spiritual leader of the entire Southern Water Tribe, and I walk in there and I see you doing things I never thought possible. How could you be so disrespectful? We don't just cut people's hair-" he could hear Kanna's voice lecturing her granddaughter.

"Gran Gran, I'm sorry-" she interrupted.

"Not another damn word," Hakoda barked. "How dare you interrupt your grandmother, let alone your mentor and the most respected elder of our village. Do you think it pleases me to marry my daughter off to a member of the Fire Nation, let alone the son of a man who brought great tragedy among our village? Do you? Let me assure you, it doesn't."

"I-" she began weakly before Hakoda continued speaking over her.

"I didn't want to do this; when the proposal was before me, I wanted to say 'no,' I wanted to be selfish and protect my beautiful daughter. But your grandmother told me it would be good for the people and you were in the room, telling me you could handle this like a diplomat. How is this diplomatic?"

Zuko folded his arms a bit. It was about time someone put her in her place; let her get a verbal lashing, she deserved some discipline. He was rather shocked, however, to find she had originally agreed to the proposal. At least she had a clue what was going to happen to her.

Now he heard what sounded like crying. Great; the waterworks. It would only be a matter of time before her father and grandmother relented.

Yet they didn't. "Don't you even dare cry, Katara," her grandmother said evenly. "You knew exactly what you were doing, and now look. I expect they'll be withdrawing from the arrangement, and now we have to suffer the consequences of not only letting our people down, but the North Pole, and the spirit world."

"And now, after Prince Zuko and his uncle get on their ship and go home, they have to go do the exact same thing I'm about to do - tell our people that they need to be ready to give up their husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers to resume fighting a war that we're exhausted from. Sokka has to go back out there, I have to go back out there, your friends do. Think about that," Hakoda said, his voice going from anger to sadness.

"Your mother would be ashamed," Kanna breathed. "Kya was not this kind of woman."

A few moments later, Hakoda stepped back into the room with Iroh and Zuko, bowing his head a bit. "We would like to discuss this in a more suitable place, please," he motioned his hand to the exit.

The firebenders followed the chief, his mother, and Katara through the tunnel leading back to the grandiose entrance of the palace. He continued walking and led them to the area they had originally had tea Zuko's first day in the South Pole.

Hakoda promptly kneeled down and bowed to the ground while saying, "I understand that you may be feeling angry-"

Zuko opened his mouth to reply, but Iroh cut him off. "Angry, yes. Offended, that as well. Cutting one's hair in such a fashion is a very disrespectful thing to the Fire Nation. More than if he had returned the same to her, or even your mother. From what I hear, he has put a substancial amount of effort into this marriage only to have your daughter return the favor by violating his tradition. The idea of a marriage simply doesn't rest well with me at this moment."

"You want to terminate the marriage then?" Kanna asked, her eyes shifting backwards to Katara.

"I think for now, that would be best. I do not have the authority to merely terminate the entire peace treaty, but Prince Zuko is like a son to me. I will take this back to Fire Lord Lu Ten and we will send word at a later date," he said plainly.

Cancel the peace treaty? It would be just like Hakoda said, and it would have been all because he wasn't able to control his wife. You could have her obey you like she should if you wanted to, Azula's voice said cooly, but you're too weak, Zuzu.

"No," he said weakly.

"Nephew?" Iroh looked at the prince, interrupting whatever he had been saying.

"She didn't do anything I didn't ask her to," Zuko said, not lifting his eyes from the ground.

His uncle looked at him quizzically. "I beg your pardon, nephew?"

"I told her to do it. The warrior, it just... it's better this way. I'll grow it out differently and it'll mark my transition into a husband of a Water Tribe woman," he lied.

"Prince Zuko, you don't have to lie." his uncle said, unconvinced.

Zuko swallowed hard, then looked up at his uncle. "I can't, it's... it's not a lie." he said, looking up to Hakoda and Kanna. "Katara only did what I asked her to. I'm sorry for the confusion," then rose and left the room as he heard Katara finally break down into tears.

What in the name of heaven and earth are you doing, he asked himself.

* * *

Iroh found him later that evening and suggested he speak with Katara. The marriage was still on, but it would be a difficult process if he didn't smooth things out with his future wife.

"And make sure she apologizes properly," Iroh added before Zuko walked out the door.

Finding Katara actually hadn't been that difficult. She was far behind the palace, practicing her bending on a raised platform made of stone. The amber eyed man found himself admiring the platform; it would actually be a practical place for him to practice firebending in the future.

Before he had climbed up half the stairs, a jet of water launched him into the air and straight into a thick pile of snow.

"It's just you," Katara said, lowering her hands. "Forgive me, I thought it was someone else."

The firebender pulled himself out of the snow dune and brushed the white powder off his shoulders a bit. "That's a hell of a way to greet your husband. Especially one who just stuck his neck out for you when he didn't have to."

"I should thank you. And apologize," her eyes were glassy with tears and she looked like she had been crying for quite some time. He felt bad for a moment, then

"You probably should; I'm not sure why I did it to begin with," he said firmly, standing halfway up the stairs. "And then you can explain why you did what you did. I don't think you fully understand how much you disrespected me, or my nation for that matter."

The blue eyed young woman pursed her lips then tapped her forehead with her thumb twice. Zuko stood, staring at her in a bit of confusion.

"In the South Pole, if I do that," she repeated the gesture, "it means come here."

He walked up the stairs cautiously, trying to watch her movements carefully, then stood at the edge of the platform. Part of him worried she was waiting for him to let his guard down just to projectile him off the training arena again, but she seemed to have called for a temporary truce.

"I don't like the Fire Nation, as I imagine you dislike the Water Tribe. Personally, I think you're rude, arrogant, disrespectful, impatient, and ignorant of all of our customs, and I would rather marry someone I love-"

"Forget it-"

"Let me finish my sentence, please" she said. "And while normally I'm very polite, I don't know why I did it; it was immature. It was childish. And I just wanted to lash out on the nearest thing, and it unfortunately was you."

"Pathetic, you're not even trying," he grumbled.

She sighed then said, "There's a lot going on that I can't decide for myself. As a princess of the Water Tribe, you have to be cordial. As the spiritual leader, you have to accept things and handle them even more gracefully than anyone else. But lucky me, I'm both. If I so much as blink the wrong way-"

"You're the family fuck up and no one lets you forget it," he finished, remembering all too well his sister's merciless tortures over the years.

She nodded once. "Why did you lie for me? My people probably would have done anything short of donating every first born to the Fire Nation to avoid war after your people voided the arrangement."

"I could overhear something your father said and-"

"You could hear?" her eyes fell downward. "So you felt sorry for me."

"Contrary to popular belief, this has nothing to do with you. The world does not revolve around you. Now let _me_ finish _my_ sentence this time," he rolled his eyes. "You'd have to send people back to war; he'd have to look and tell them to get ready to send their spouses, children, siblings, and parents back to war. And worst of all, you would know that they'd blame you for it. Well, it'd be the same for me. And even though I'm tired of feeling dragged through the mud, my people deserve peace. They deserve being able to feel safe in their homes and be with their families... I want that for them."

Her eyes flickered back to his for a moment. "I do, too. Thank you," she kneeled before him and lowered her head towards her knees. "In the Water Tribe, the spiritual leader holds a greater honor than the chief. Well, unless he's her father, I guess. But traditionally, she never bows lower than the way I did when we first met. So please understand that I sincerely mean I'm sorry."

"If you didn't want to do this, you could have declined. It seemed like your father didn't want to force this onto you," Zuko said, running a hand through what was left of his hair. He felt disgraced, banished; exactly what his father wanted for him.

"My 'choice' was a formality; my grandmother would have probably lost every bit of her sanity if I had said no. But," she looked up at him, still kneeling. "I want the same things you do. I don't want anyone else to lose anything more than they have to because of the differences between our people." Katara said, her voice shaking a bit as she rose to her feet. "I want children to play with their parents, brothers and sisters to have sibling rivalries, people able to make love to their spouses and not worry about it being the last time ever. I don't want anyone to have to see someone they love leave for a war started before our time and never come back. I don't want anyone else to go through what I have."

So she had losses of her own. Truthfully, and though he would never admit it to the likes of anyone from the Water Tribe, the Fire Nation has suffered devastating losses throughout the war. Zuko's grandfather Azulon had almost bankrupted the entire nation trying to fund the war, not to mention the mandatory draft forcing soldiers into the line of duty. Things were far from resolved in the Fire Nation, but he knew since Lu Ten had taken over after Azulon's passing, things were starting to even out.

"You're going to have to work for your necklace. I'm holding onto it," he said, running his thumb over the pendant in his pocket. "Until I'm satisfied."

The princess chewed on her upper lip for a moment, inhaling. She was angry. Good. Now she knew how he felt.

"Fine. Can we... start fresh?" she asked, hugging her arms tightly.

"Only if you're going to actually try to be nice. I'm putting a lot of effort into learning your customs and it's frustrating when you intentionally piss on me and wait for me to fail so you can make me feel horrible about it."

The waterbender nodded a bit, covering her mouth with her hand some.

Silence.

Zuko pursed his lips. "You know at some point we're going to have to-"

"Make it a convincing marriage, yes," Katara said quietly. "I'm aware of the expectations placed on our union."

"And you're okay with-" he began to ask, then cleared his throat. "That?"

"Sex?" she said plainly. "I accept it's something we'll have to deal with at a certain point, but I wouldn't say I'm jumping for joy with it right now."

He felt a flush of color rise to his cheeks as she said the word so simply. His right hand instinctively moved to cover his face in embarrassment and in the moonlight, he saw Katara lift an eyebrow.

"What are you, a prude? It's just sex. Say it with me," she wiggled her fingers at him. "S-E-X. Sex. It's not going to bite you."

"I'm not a child," he scowled.

She shrugged. "Okay, you're not a child. Say the word."

He sighed dramatically, "I'm not going to say something just because you're making a big deal about it."

"You're the one making the deal. If it wasn't, you would have said the word, proven your point, and we'd be going our separate ways by now."

"Sex, there I said it. Satisfied?"

The waterbender laughed, covering her mouth. "Sorry, you just sounded so uncomfortable about it. Is it.. weird or something there?"

"It's not really discussed, I guess. I don't know if it's just the image people associate with 'fire,' but at least for nobles, no one talks about it. It's very discrete," he said. Zuko shifted his weight to his left leg; he didn't know why he was answering her questions. He should have left; she had apologized.

"Interesting, so I guess that explains the lack of humor from the Fire Nation," she pressed on.

He scowled. "What do you mean 'lack of humor?'"

"You're so busy being all rigid and wound up about sex that you don't have good jokes," the waterbender returned to a defensive stance, facing away from Zuko and resuming her practice.

"I know plenty of jokes," he folded his arms.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, raising her eyebrows. "Yeah? Tell me one."

He pursed his lips. Jokes weren't actually his thing; he preferred sarcastic one-liners here or there, but now he had to come up with one or she'd add another point to her scoreboard. He rubbed his shoulder a bit as he racked his brain; well, there was one joke a bounty hunter he knew said during a slightly drunken toast...

"Thank the spirits for the storks that bring the good babies, crows that bring the bad babies, and swallows that bring no babies."

The water fell from her hand and Katara looked at him for a moment before saying, "Zuko, that's fucking disgusting."

Damn Iroh and his friends.

His fiancée began laughing, covering her mouth a bit and trying her hardest to retain her composure to no avail. "But hilarious. I've never heard that one before."

Who knew? The princess of the Water Tribe liked dirty jokes. Maybe he'd have to spend a little more time talking to June after all. He ran a hand over what was left of his hair; was this still a good idea?

"Do you want me to-" she asked quickly then shook her head. "Never mind."

"Want you to what?"

"Cut it properly," Katara said softly. "I did a terrible job. It can be part of my apology if I make it look better."

He chewed on his tongue for a moment, contemplating her offer before finally saying, "Okay."

"Wolf's tail then?" she said.

"Absolutely not. Just make it even."

The girl whimpered a bit. "But a wolf's tail is traditional for the Water Tri-"

"Katara, if you don't do what I say-"

"Got it, yes, okay. No wolf's tail." she interrupted. "By the way, that makes for the third time today you got my name right."

"Third time is the charm," he said. "Kama."

* * *

_Posted: 06/17/2012_

**A/N:** To answer a couple questions/comments people have sent me via review:

**Kimberly T: **Katara hacking off Zuko's hair was definitely a final addition to the chapter because I believed that she needed a push to start being more accepting of Zuko. The story will develop more than PWP humor and their relationship will grow, but I was having a difficult time convincing _myself_ that she would start to accept what was happening to her the way things were going. Her temper tantrum is the result of something that will be addressed later on - no spoils here! - but I wanted to create a crux that would make her start turning a corner and at least put in some of the same effort he was putting in.

**dreadfullights: **Toph and Aang as well as some other characters are coming into play in the very near future, don't worry. I believe this chapter already answered some of your other questions.

**JustWriter2: **Interesting idea, I will take it into consideration. :)

**Animegal809: **First, thank you for your compliments. It's nice to hear, especially if you're not one to read Avatar fanfics much. Will address the two points you made; I don't know if you caught it in the story, but I did drop a hint about Katara's past by way of something Hakoda said. While I think Katara has a lot of redeeming qualities that bring out the best of Zuko in the original series, I think too much emphasis was placed on her being ~flawless~, and even worse, in a lot of marriage fics, she's entirely too accepting too early on about the entire situation. She's a 17 year old girl with a heavy burden placed on her shoulders to marry someone she doesn't know from a nation she hates for political reasons, which isn't common in Southern Water Tribe (in my story anyway). Namecalling and some of her other outlandish behaviors are a coping method for her. As for the swearing: people have different opinions of expletives and I'm personally of the "I don't care" variety. You are free to your own opinion, however, I will tell you that this fic will address more mature themes dealing with a political marriage (nothing explicit), so I hope you will keep that in mind. :) while this is a children's series, I am an adult and I'm writing for a late teen+ audience and therefore, I've rated it as Teen for a reason.

Please continue to send in reviews! I want you all to be heard, and I enjoy the feedback - praises or criticisms. It makes me a better writer, and like I said, it keeps my creative juices going! :)


	6. Chapter 6: An Icebomb

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 6: An Icebomb

* * *

Zuko tried to sleep, but his body refused to allow him the luxury. The sun had taken to rising and setting in a span of six mere hours the past few days. His internal clock felt scrambled, and everyday drew closer to the doom of over a month without any sunrises. Incidentally, he was getting married in just a few days, so the threat of his impending nuptials were rather unsettling as well.

"Knock, knock," Iroh said, pushing the animal pelt aside from the entrance and stepping in. He moved to a lantern and blew into it to ignite the oil. "You wouldn't believe it, but it's nearly seven in the morning here."

The prince nodded, sitting up and going to pull another layer on over his shirt. "Did you bring tea?"

"Of course; the only right way to start the day is with tea," he chuckled, going to pour two cups. "How was your talk last night with Lady Katara?"

"Um, okay, I guess." he said, going to sit down and drink some of the tea. The Water Tribe did have some tea, but none could compare to his uncle. Though he'd never admit it, he did miss his daily tea sessions with Iroh.

He nodded. "And she apologized, I assume?"

"She did," Zuko answered.

"Good, good. I thought so. You two looked very close last night, like you were bonding. And the way she laughed, I was very impressed, Prince Zuko. You will make a good husband, I think," Iroh said.

Zuko nodded, taking another sip of tea, then looked at his uncle. "Wait, you saw us?"

"Well, yes. I was worried about you, and Master Pakku wanted to make sure Lady Katara behaved herself. We were observing you. What did you tell her that made her laugh?"

"A joke," he said absently, blushing a bit as he remembered her response.

"Oh, tell me. I love a good joke, nephew. Besides, it's so rare to hear you tell one," his uncle inquired.

"Uh, well, it's-" he cleared his throat. "It's, um, well."

Iroh raised his eyebrows. "Nephew, don't tell me it was one of June's jokes," he said.

The prince looked down, covering his face with his hands in embarrassment. The older man began laughing heartily, holding onto his stomach and crinkling his eyes up some. "Oh, Prince Zuko. Well, you know, that's not all bad. June does have a good sense of humor, especially when she drinks enough sake. But I'm glad you made Lady Katara laugh. The way to a woman's heart is through her laughter, and her heart is important to fulfill certain aspects of marriage-"

"Uncle, no," he looked up and began shaking his head 'no.' "Please, please, don't."

"Nephew," he said. "We need to have this conversation. Sex is food for a marriage-"

"Uncle," he whined a bit.

"We've never had this conversation before, and your father isn't around anymore, and it's very important. Sex is a very natural thing, and I think we need to discuss it and certain expectations."

By this point, what little color there was had drained from Zuko's face. He looked down, arms crossed, at his knee as it bounced up and down anxiously. Maybe, if he was extra quiet, Iroh would be as brief as possible.

"If you don't want to discuss this with me, I can respect that. Perhaps Lu Ten would be better; I just want you to be prepared for marriage when you are behind closed doors-"

"Is this a bad time?" a voice asked. Zuko looked up to see Suki standing in the doorway, covering a smile of amusement with a gloved hand.

"No, no. Please. Come in," he begged, clearing his throat.

"I'm here to escort General Iroh to breakfast," she explained.

Zuko nodded some. "And myself?"

"Chief Hakoda will escort you himself," she replied.

Iroh rose to his feet, folding his arms inside his sleeves and gave a polite bow to the warrior. "I take it you are the enchanting bride of Lord Sokka, yes?"

She smiled and nodded a bit, taking his arm after he offered it to her. "I am," she smiled. "My name is Suki."

"I am delighted to meet you, Lady Suki," he smiled back. "I hear you are from Kyoshi Island. I was once fortunate enough to travel to such a place. It's quite a charming island, and the warriors are very cunning. I unfortunately was never able to make the acquaintance of anyone as lovely as yourself."

"You flatter me, General Iroh," she said as she led him out of the room.

"Please, call me 'Uncle.' We will soon be related by marriage!" he said.

Zuko rolled his eyes a bit. Iroh never missed an opportunity to flirt with a pretty girl, even if she was young enough to be his granddaughter. Of course, he was entirely harmless - his true affections were saved for June, "a woman after his own heart" as he liked to call her.

The prince waited, drumming his fingers on his knee. Hakoda had never really paid much attention to Zuko, surprisingly enough considering they would be bound by marriage soon, so he was confused as to why the chief would want to escort the firebender to breakfast of all things.

"Prince Zuko," he heard the familiar voice from behind the pelt. Hakoda stepped in and nodded his head once at him. "Are you ready?"

"I am," the amber eyed man replied.

"Excellent. My son will actually be teaching you about hunting and carving necklaces today, but I wanted to speak with you before breakfast about yesterday's... events," the chief explained.

Hakoda was tall, especially taller than Zuko, but the firebender had hit a late growth spurt. He hadn't even been taller than his uncle until recently, and the physicians still expected him to sprout up a few more inches. However, the promises of increased height did not make his future father-in-law any less intimidating.

"Oh, yesterday," Zuko said quietly, running his hand over his freshly trimmed hair.

"Katara told me she trimmed it to make it look better," the tribesman said, scratching his beard a bit. "Looks better. Anyway, I wanted to thank you. I realize that she's a bit headstrong, stubborn, and can be very unreasonable, but she's got a good heart. She wants what's best for her people, as I do. I understand that you may have taken it upon yourself to exaggerate the events from yesterday but-"

"I want the best for my people as well," the firebender said quickly. "So what I said yesterday was my best recollection of events."

The chief nodded once, then clapped Zuko roughly on the shoulder. "Understood. Let's go eat breakfast then. And we have a treat for you for dinner. Have you ever heard of a Southern Water Tribe 'Icebomb?'"

The prince followed the taller man out, rubbing his shoulder a bit. He made a mental note not to piss Hakoda off any time in the near future.

* * *

Sokka was unusually tardy to meeting Zuko by the hut after breakfast. Another Water Tribe hunter said that Sokka had been "indisposed" due to some series of events with Suki. The firebender decided to close his eyes and meditate in his few moments of peace and silence-

"Guess who's gonna be a daddy!" the blue eyed warrior shouted upon entering the igloo. "That's right, not even the cold temperatures of a winter in the Southern Water Tribe can stop me from making babies with my beautiful wife."

"Uh, congratulations," Zuko said calmly.

Sokka sat down beside Zuko, putting an arm around his neck and waving his hand out in front of them. "I think it's gonna be a boy. And if he looks anything like me, he'll have no problem with the ladies."

The gold eyed man nodded a bit slowly, trying to peel himself away. "Right."

"Well, if you need any tips on how to impress your wife in the sack-" Sokka began, then pointed a finger in Zuko's face. "I mean, you better not even think about defiling my sister. Got it?"

"Furthest thing from my mind, believe me," he replied, going to twirl the moonstone in his hand. "So you said we carve this?"

The warrior nodded, taking it from Zuko's hand and pulling out a knife. "Well, not _we_. Just _you_. You don't want to just start hacking into the thing though, or you'll ruin it and have to go find another one. First, you want to whittle it down until it's fairly thin, but not brittle. You don't want it shattering. It'll help if you have a necklace to reference it by to see how thin it needs to be. Then after that, you want to carve a design. For Suki's necklace, I carved a fan into it mixed with the symbol of our family. It can be whatever you want it to be, though. But it's better if it's personal,"

"Personal how?"

"Well, you want it to mean something to her. If her least favorite fruit is a dragonberry you don't want to go carving that onto the necklace. But if you say, carve something that holds personal significance to you, for example, that would be better. The necklace symbolizes your commitment. It needs to be something that takes time, understand?" he explained to Zuko. "A lot of men spend years practicing though, so you're going to want to spend some time practicing on something other than that stone. It's very beautiful, so you don't want to just muck it all up."

"Okay," he said, taking the knife and a grey stone Sokka handed him.

"That stone is about the same consistency as a moonstone, so it'll serve as good practice. I've got plenty, so just work with 'em until you're confident enough to start working on a necklace."

The firebender nodded, scraping the knife against the stone. It barely scratched the surface the first time, so he dragged the blade across the stone with more force.

"Just be patient; this isn't something that's done in one sitting. Especially for something worthwhile," he explained, going to stretch a bit.

* * *

Unlike the previous days, tonight was less of a formal dinner and more of a party. The entire tribe was eating, drinking, dancing, and singing to celebrate the engagement. In exactly one week, Zuko would be a married man. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought, but it was definitely not from the cold.

He was forced to kneel on the ice while Sokka drew a crescent moon on Zuko's forehead and three diagonal lines going down the side of his face in white warpaint. Hakoda and Kanna each stepped up and placed a large animal pelt covering his right shoulder and several necklaces made of beads, feathers, and bones around his neck, respectively.

Pakku stood behind him, explaining over the music, "The paint symbolizes the moon and the ocean; the moon was the first waterbender, as she pushed and pulled the waters of the ocean. Our people studied her and learned from her. The animal pelt symbolizes royalty; you will soon be a member of tribal royalty after you marry Katara. The necklaces are talismans meant to protect you from evil spirits before your wedding. Keep your head down, it's impolite to look up right now," he said, pushing Zuko's head back down to look at the ground.

The firebender stared at his knees, waiting and waiting. The music suddenly stopped and everyone grew quiet; he began to lift his head, but Pakku quickly pushed it back down again.

He heard the rustle of clothing and the sound of beads and bones colliding against each other. After a moment, he saw a silver parka in front of him, covered in glistening moonstones. He looked up and saw Katara, standing before him. She held her hand out, lowering her head for a moment and whispering, "Take my hand and rise."

Zuko did as she instructed, taking in the sight of her. Her normally tied back hair was down, and the strands that were not braided and woven with beads or feathers were curly and danced a bit in the wind. She had pins holding her hair back from her face, and he noticed silver paint in the shape of a dragon stretching from the corner of her eye down to her jawline on her left side. She was beautiful, but he was not ready to admit it.

"Remove your glove, then hold out your right palm," she said, shaking him from his confusion. He did as she instructed after removing his glove. The waterbender held his hand face up in her palm, then pulled the bone dagger from her hip out and made a small cut in his hand. His breath hitched as she did so, then she held the hilt of the knife out for him. "Do the same to me now."

He looked at her hesitantly, then took the dagger. She held out her left palm after removing her own glove, watching as he repeated her actions. Katara nodded, replacing the knife on her hip, then grabbed his freshly cut hand in hers as if they were shaking hands. She stepped forward and whispered, "Stand close to me and take my other hand. We put it between our hearts, then take our cut hands and place them against our left cheeks. I will feel your hand on my left cheek, and you will feel mine on yours."

Before he could process what she had said, her hand was warm against his cold skin, and he closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on keeping his core warm.

"The mixing of our blood symbolizes our bloodlines will combine when we produce an heir. It is a tribute to the spirits to grant us fertility and health in our children, and fortune in our marriage," she whispered.

A cheer erupted through the crowd, and the waterbender stepped back. She summoned a small amount of water and took his hand, erasing the faint line from his hand before tending to her own wound.

"You're surprisingly civil," he said before he could stop himself.

He noticed her flinch, but she only looked up at him and said cooly, "I suppose I am tonight. Let's try that Icebomb now," she said.

"Icebomb?"

"A guy like you could use two, or three, or seven," she said.

She stepped over to a long table where small little shotglasses made of ice were resting. Inside, a clear liquid sat, rippling with the beat of the drums and cheers from the audience.

"What is it?" he asked.

The waterbender waved her hand absently. "It's hard to explain, just try it," she said, taking two and handing him one. "On the count of three, raise the glass and say, 'May the moonlight guide me,' then drink it all really fast."

"Why really fast?"

"You won't want to sip this, trust me," she said. "One, two, three." The pair lifted the glass and did as she said, then brought the drink to his lips and tipped it back, swallowing it at once.

It felt like liquid fire burning down his throat and he coughed after taking a sip. His fiancée laughed, patting him on the back. "Nothing like that in the Fire Nation, eh?"

Zuko covered his mouth, coughing into his fist when a few small puffs of flame spat out. "Absolutely not; what in the name of heaven and hell is that?"

"A Southern Water Tribe Icebomb. Made from rye vodka, sparkling water, and icemint extract. Try another, it'll go down smoother now that you know what to expect," she said, handing him another.

"If you say so," he replied cautiously. Just what was she getting him into now?

* * *

_Posted: 06/19/2012_

**A/N: **To answer a few reviews/questions from the readers;

**Kilana89:** lmfao, alas, if you didn't get that joke, you may not want to. It's very, VERY crass/highly inappropriate. But it's one of my personal favorites.

**Clueless-Major: **hii, I've been wanting to thank you for your feedback for so long! Thank you. :) lol I'm very flattered that you make it part of your head canon n_n It's hard to sort of work off something when you don't know a lot, but I'm enjoying forging my own path on this one. I get to be really creative, and it's exhilarating. Just as a clarification for what Hakoda said, there is a cease fire (I mentioned it early on, ch1 I believe iirc) and a peace treaty has been worked out, but it's mostly contingent on the marriage. Ergo, if the Fire Nation pulls out of the marriage contract, for all intensive purposes, the war would resume unless another arrangement was reached.

**LocoMucho: **Hello, thank you! I have a lot of opportunity to be original with this fic, so I really liked writing the moonstone challenge. My favorite part will be writing the wedding, and when I do incorporate some Fire Nation culture be sure that it will have some new twists on it as well. :) I would never describe Katara flat out as a bitch, but I think she does have bitchy tendencies. She's human, and while in the original series she was forced to grow up, you could still her act childish. In this one, she's not had the same experience as she did, and even though she's older, she's still dealing with a lot of adult things. I'm 20 years old, and I'm deathly afraid of getting married/having kids right now, so I can't imagine what it would be like if I was marrying someone I didn't love or even know. :)

**Kimberly T** did ask a question about Katara's gesture that indicated "come here" to Zuko. I actually made that one up, so often enough, there are traditions from the Water Tribe I come up with all on my creative lonesome! :)

As always, thank you to my readers; even the silent ones who add _Polar Nights_ to their Story Alert/Favorites list, and a super big thanks to my reviewers. Don't be shy though, guys. Your feedback is always welcome, and I'm happy to answer questions or stimulate thoughts. I read my reviews and always take what you guys say into consideration, so please, voice your thoughts! See you next chapter!


	7. Chapter 7: Blackout

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 7: Blackout

* * *

"Rise and shine, champ," Sokka clapped, using a candle to light the lanterns in Zuko's room. "We're going seal hunting."

_Champ?_ The prince groaned, pulling an animal pelt over his head. "Shh... too loud."

"Aw, wittle, baby Zuko got a hangover," the warrior teased. "Come on, I'll make you a hangover cure for the road. We have to go now before it gets too late or we'll miss the seals."

The firebender started to sit up, squinting his eyes. "I'm not a baby. What time is it anyway?"

"'Bout five, five-thirty."

"In the morning?"

His future brother-in-law moved to the trunk, sorting through its contents before selecting several layers of warm clothing and tossing them directly at Zuko's head. "Yep!"

The prince pulled the clothing off his face and stumbled out of his bed, grumbling a bit. Not even _he _got up that early, and he rose with the sun. He pulled on the clothes, hopping around the floor as he pulled two layers of leggings and thick, fur-lined pants on.

"Try not to eat too heavy at breakfast either. You'll want to eat some meat and rice, but stay away from the sweet stuff. It'll make you crash early on," Sokka said, picking at his fingernails with his bone dagger while Zuko dressed.

"Ugh, how can you talk about food?" he replied, feeling queasy.

The warrior laughed. "That's because I know my limits. I can't believe you let Katara talk you into drinking so many Icebombs. Shit'll put you out for a week if you aren't careful."

"How was I supposed to know?" Zuko snapped, pulling his parka on finally.

"You could've asked," Sokka led him to the dining room.

"And you would have been honest?" the firebender asked, pulling his hood over his head to block his eyes from the light of the lanters.

"Probably not, no," he laughed. "But you do need to eat. And I'll get Suki to pack us a lunch just in case."

When they arrived at the dining hall, he sat down and promptly rested his head on the table. Sokka immediately began piling his plate high with meat and wasted no time on tearing it from the bone.

"Di Cra Cra ma dis?" he said, sucking on the bone. The prince wasn't sure, but he guessed it to mean, _Did Gran Gran make this?_

"No, I made it," a voice Zuko recognized as Katara's said as she sat down. "What's wrong with him?"

"Ran ova," Sokka answered.

"What?" another female voice asked. Suki.

"Hangover," Katara translated.

Zuko felt a hand on his back and he lifted his eyes to see Suki patting him gently. "Poor guy. Never knew what was coming."

"I told you he needed to slow down," Sokka said after a loud swallow. "But _noooo_. No one ever listens to me, especially when he was about to nosedive it off the-."

"He's a grown man, I thought he could handle a few shots; excuse me," the waterbender said defensively. "Drink some water Zuko and eat a bit of rice. It'll help your stomach."

"I don't want food," he grumbled into his arm after resting his head on it.

"Just try it," she insisted, handing him a bowl.

The Kyoshi warrior removed her hand and suggested, "Katara, maybe you should feed him. It would be the wifely thing to do."

"Whatever, " his fiancée said, going to pat him on the back of the neck. "Sit up and just take one bite."

"Will you let it go if I do?" he asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

Katara placed her hand over her heart and nodded. "Promise."

"Fine," he mumbled, opening his mouth. No sooner had he swallowed the spoonful of rice that his hand flew to his mouth and he hunched over behind him and away from the group to expel his stomach's contents.

"Oh, gross," Sokka groaned. "That stuff smells putrid. Can't you vomitbend that shit away, Katara?"

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Vomitbending is a real lost art, but I think I can muster up the courage to bend it right over to your face," she snapped back. "Come on, let's get you some fresh air. We'll eat outside. Grab the cups."

He stood up and followed the waterbender outside as she held a plate full of meat and a bowl of rice in her hands. She led him outside to the fence made of ice blocks surrounding the palace then took a seat.

"Sit down," she said, lifting her knee up and balancing the plate on her leg.

Zuko sat, holding the two cups in his hand and watching her a bit. She pulled the meat off tenderly from the bone and piled it in a corner of the plate.

"Eat that," she instructed.

"I don't want to," he grumbled.

Katara sighed a bit quietly. "Zuko, it'll help you feel better. You threw up, and now you can eat. You won't be able to hunt if you don't eat, and we don't take days off in the Water Tribe. It's important you go with Sokka."

"What's the reason today?" he asked, taking a bite. The meat was savory and burned his lips a bit, but it was a relief to his stomach. He chased it with water and reached to take another bite.

"The seal is an offering you'll give to me to demonstrate your commitment to our marriage. It shows you're able to hunt and provide for your wife, and later on, children."

"Lots of offering and rituals," he commented, wiping his fingers on his parka.

She nodded. "The antarctic is merciless. While most of these traditions are more or less archaic and we keep them for symbolic purposes, these are practiced and valued traditions. For a woman to marry a man a long time ago, he had to prove he could care for her or else it wasn't in her interest to form a union. Now, we have hunters who go out and disperse their food fairly. That's why we all eat together, to make sure no one goes hungry. May I have some water?"

Zuko handed her the cup and she sighed a bit when she went to drink it. "It's starting to freeze."

"Allow me," he said, touching the cup with his finger and concentrating. "There."

"You are handy," she smiled, taking a long sip of the water after.

"So what did I do last night that involved nosediving?" Zuko asked, unsure if he was completely prepared for the answer.

Katara chuckled a bit. "Oh, that. I'll tell you later since Sokka's headed this way. You better get a move on. Good luck."

Maybe ignorance was bliss.

* * *

The firebender came to find canoes were the least pleasurable form of transportation he had used before. His arms grew tired after he and Sokka had paddled out to an alcove in the glacier, and he still was suffering from an insufferable headache and continued to suffer through the entire hunt. The sun had yet to come up when they, meaning Sokka, had finally found and killed a seal.

When he had finally returned during the sun's peak, Zuko found himself to be more exhausted than usual. Especially because Sokka insisted he carry the seal back.

"I basically killed it, the least you can do is carry it back."

"Because you wouldn't show me how to use your spear," the prince frowned.

The warrior shrugged a bit. "I assumed you knew how to throw one, my bad."

"Well, for the record, can we stop assuming things and just ask in the future?" Zuko said.

Sokka shifted the weight of the weapons on his shoulder and yawned some. "Yeah, yeah, don't get your underpants in a bunch. When we get back to camp, present the seal to Katara. She'll clean it for dinner, then we can get some shut eye before Toph and Aang show up."

"Toph and Aang?"

"They're part of the informal receiving of the guests, kinda like your uncle," the warrior explained. "Toph and Aang are old friends though. Aang basically gets along with everyone, and Toph, well. You'll see with her. There's not exactly a word for describing her."

The firebender stopped for a moment and hunched over, repositioning the dead seal on his back before standing up and continuing to walk. When they reached the city, Sokka pointed towards a large igloo near the entrance.

"Go there; Katara will accept your seal then. And don't forget to clean these," he said, dropping the bag at the front of the ice hut. "See you at dinner."

Zuko grumbled a bit, then walked in the hut. He saw Katara sitting by the fire pit in the middle, warming some water in a bowl. Her parka was removed and he could see the bronzed skin of her left shoulder.

"Did you burn yourself?" he asked quietly after he set the seal down on the ground.

The young woman jumped, clearly startled, and spilled the water on the icy floor. She sighed a bit, going to bend more water into the bowl and replacing it over the fire. "No, I'm cleaning my shoulder."

"Why?" he asked, going to take the bowl. When her eyes darted up at him in confusing, he pointed at himself with his thumb and said, "Firebender," then began to heat the bowl in his hands.

"Tattoo," she explained. "I'm trying to heal the skin."

"Oh, it goes down that far?" he asked dumbly before handing her the bowl back.

She nodded. "The tattoos are holy symbols, representing my dedication and role as spiritual leader. It goes from here," she placed her thumb at the center of her hairline, dragging it down the right side of her face, "and continues down my neck before branching off to my right shoulder, then around to my back where it wraps around to the other shoulder, down my back, around my sides, to my stomach, over my hips, and stops at my thighs."

"That's, uh, pretty expansive," Zuko replied, unsure of what to say. "Does it um, hurt?"

"Like you wouldn't believe. Especially on bone," she replied, summoning the water from the bowl and placing it over the tender skin. "Impossible to do in a day; you have to break it up otherwise you'll go crazy from the pain. I started with the ones on my face when I was first apprenticed and now I've been having them expanded since I'm the official leader."

He sucked in a bit of air through his teeth. "So if it was warmer and you were to wear less clothing you would-"

"See everything, yes, Zuko. I know that tattoos aren't normally looked highly upon in the Fire Nation, but these are very important to our culture, I hope you can understand that." Katara replied, then looked at the seal. "I need to use some of the tools Sokka used on the hunt, so I'll go ahead and clean the weapons just this once since I imagine you're exhausted. But you owe me next time. Someone will wake you when Aang and Toph get here."

"You, uh, sure?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

She rolled her eyes a bit. "Get out before I change my mind, Zuko."

* * *

"Prince Zuko," a voice said gently, shaking him a bit.

He groaned a bit and rolled over, pulling the sheets over his head. The moment he returned to the palace, he pulled his boots off then promptly passed out without changing. He was absolutely not ready to wake up. Maybe if I ignore her, she'll go away, he thought.

"Zuko," the voice said a bit firmer, shaking him again.

No movement save for a hand swatting at her blindly before returning to pulling a pillow over his head.

"Alright, no more Miss Nice Waterbender," she replied, jerking the pillow off his head.

Fine, take it, he would have said if had the energy. He kept his eyes shut, folding his arms until something wet lodged itself in his right ear...

"What the hell!" he shouted, sitting up and placing a hand protectively over his ear.

"Oh, don't get your underwrappings all in a knot, Zuko, it's just my finger," Katara held up her hand and wiped it on the animal pelt. "Could've been worse. Could've been my tongue."

A flicker of amusement ran over her eyes as she watched his cheeks grow pink with embarrassment. She _definitely_ meant it _that_ way, those Southern Water tribespeople and their dirty jokes.

"What now? I thought I get to sleep," he flopped back down onto the bed.

"You've been sleeping for six hours. Toph and Aang just got here and you need to meet them," she said simply. "Come on, we haven't got all night."

He sat up, going to run a hand through what little hair he had. "I wait on you guys all the time, you can wait on me."

"I've been shouting at you for five minutes to wake up, so I would say I've waited long enough."

"You don't have much patience, Kala," he commented, mostly to himself as he pulled his boots on. "Sokka doesn't either; is that a Water Tribe thing?"

She narrowed her eyes. "You're still calling me wrong names after I babied you when you had a hangover because you can't handle your liquor?"

"What are you going to do about it? As far as I'm concerned, you're still earning points back with me after your little temper tantrum," he replied matter-of-factly.

"Maybe, I'll make you aware of the fact that you're living on a giant hunk of ice in the middle of the ocean. Not much advantage for a firebender if you ask me," she replied, hands on her hips.

"We'll see about that, your worship," he shrugged, then walked out of the room.

"What did you call me?" she fumed, storming after him.

"Hell, Sugar Queen, I can hear you yelping down the hall. What's got you all bent out of shape?" a female asked, led by Sokka. She was short with choppy black hair Her parka was similar to Suki and she hand long bangs covering a pair of milky green eyes.

"This... thing," Katara replied dramatically, motioning her hands in Zuko's direction. "I'm trying to make an effort and he's just being difficult and unreasonable. I came to get him to introduce you."

"No, someone being difficult and unreasonable? Gee, I don't know anyone like that, what do you think, Snoozles?" she said flatly, trying to mask a smile.

The waterbender clenched her fists and Zuko could feel a wave of anger roll off her. "Real nice, Toph. I can see you're still a charmer."

"I do what I can," she replied. "So let me get a look at your 'beloved.'"

She reached out her right hand, wiggling her fingers in his direction. It finally dawned on him she was blind and he leaned in, closing his eyes a bit in case she got too grabby.

"He feels like a real pretty boy, Sugar Queen. Perfect for you. Pretty boy, unreasonable, difficult... if he's got a temper and no patience as I imagine most firebenders do, I would say this is a match made in the Spirit World by the god of love himself. Especially if he's anything like what you said about him last night when he was drunk."

_Oh, no._

* * *

_Posted: 06/20/2012_

**A/N: **Oh wow, 78 reviews for 6 chapters. This is the most response I've gotten for a fic in such a short time. I'm really thrilled. Thank you all so much for your continued support! :) Now to respond to some reviews:

**Kimberly T: **I don't want to give away just yet what I have planned for when the polar nights kick in, but it will have some effect on the story line since it is the title of the fic. You'll see soon enough! :)

**Sarahplainntall: **See, I hate that kind of stuff. Too many times, Katara and/or Zuko are too happy-go-lucky to enter this type of relationship, especially if they didn't know each other previously in the fic. It's kind of jarring. Marriage is a huge thing, and I want to convey that type of anxiety/apprehension. Overall, the duty Katara and Zuko feel attached to their respective countries outweighs their personal motivations, but still. I want to make it clear they aren't sure if this is a good idea.

**shiney32: **While I do think some of Zuko's hotheaded nature comes from his "element," I think a lot of it stemmed from his exile of 3 years. In this story, his upbringing has a different history from the story, so we see a different side to him. And I think that Zuko and Katara tend to bring out the best in each other once they do form a bond.

**Clueless-Major: **Katara's got a lot of fleshing out I need to work on, so we'll find out more about her character and some of the things she's associated with, but you will see _why_ she's so apprehensive about marriage. :) lol I used to be pre-med so I agree about the HIV/AIDS bit, but the significance of the tradition was more meaningful to the story than my germaphobia lol! omg LoK, I'm so excited for the finale. Especially with Iroh, 2.0. wuv Mako but I think he needs a break from shipping bit... right now, I'm all for Iroh 2.0xAsami. Their children would be stunning and flawless... SO MANY FEELS.

And of course, keep sending in your thoughts. I'd love to hear from as many people about their thoughts - positive or negative! :) See you next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8: The Anniversary

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 8: The Anniversary

* * *

The group promptly went to the amphitheater for dinner. Katara talked about the presentation Pakku would be putting on display with fellow waterbenders to welcome the early arriving guests.

Toph, Zuko quickly learned, had eating habits that rivaled Sokka's despite her petite frame. She was also blunt and loved to give people nicknames; he was no exception.

"So, Sparky, are we invited to the wedding in the Fire Nation?" she asked, tearing a bit of meat off a bone.

Katara nudged him a bit after a moment of silence, "She's talking to you."

"Oh, uh, sure, yeah, I guess," he replied, poking at a sea prune in the broth. Katara and Sokka loved the sea prunes, and he would have felt compelled to pretend to enjoy them but was relieved to find out neither Suki nor Toph found them potable.

"It smells like pickled old socks, and tastes worse than that," Toph had described them. She wasn't too far off either.

"Have you seen Aang?" Katara asked after she finished her first bowl of sea prunes.

"Oh, yeah, he's right over there, I think," Toph replied, jerking her thumb behind her.

Zuko, Katara, Sokka, and Suki all turning to look in the direction she motioned. No sign of anyone.

"Guys," the green eyed girl called. They returned their focus to her to see her wave her hand in front of her sightless eyes.

"Ugh," Katara grumbled and got up. "I'm going to find him."

Toph shrugged. "Gets 'em every single time, Sparky."

"Well, you can see sometimes," Sokka said.

"Yeah - on real, solid land, not floating ice," she replied.

Suki covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, then leaned in a bit to Zuko, "Toph is really special. She can see with earthbending. It's pretty incredible, I've never met anyone like that before."

"And don't you forget it," the earthbender smirked, sucking on her fingers to clean them off.

"So, uh, what did everyone tell you about me from the other night?" the firebender asked cautiously to Toph.

"Oh, wait. Don't tell me you don't remember," she smiled a bit. "Wow, people from the Fire Nation can't hold their liquor I guess."

He sighed a bit. "Just tell me, please."

"It wasn't that embarrassing," Suki said, trying to be supportive. "You just liked to talk is all. And your firebending got a little... out of control."

"Yeah, just a lot of talking-" Toph began.

"Found him!" Katara said proudly, sitting down.

Zuko made a mental reminder to ask Toph about what he had to say later, then turned his attention to the new person joining them at dinner. A young man with a blue tattoo in the shape of an arrow on his head and the tops of his hands sat beside her, his grey eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Hey guys!" he said.

Sokka reached over to give his friend a high-five. "How's it hangin'? I haven't seen you since we visited Toph in Ba Sing Se last. Don't tell me with all your Avatarly duties you've forgotten us already," he teased.

"No, no," Aang shook his head. "Just been really busy, you know. I went to the North Pole recently, too. I needed to smooth out some things with the treaty."

"So you're the Avatar," Zuko lamented, mostly to himself. He knew that both his uncle and cousin had met the Avatar, but he never had.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I'm Aang. Nice to meet you. You're Zuko, right?"

"Yes," he said simply. "I suppose I owe you a bit of gratitude for your contributed wisdom to the treaty. It's helping bring this war to a peaceful conclusion."

The Air Nomad rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and said, "Oh, yeah, well you know. Just doing my job, though some parts of it weren't really my idea." The prince decided the Avatar was alluding to the marriage as what "parts" weren't his idea.

Katara began clapping and he returned his attention to the stage in front of him. Pakku had summoned a large mass of water and with the help of several other benders, had fashioned it into the shape of what looked like a water serpent of some sort. It weaved through the crowd of people, and he was reminded of the performing firebenders from back home. His mother used to like watching the performers when there were festivals in the Fire Nation...

Zuko suddenly wanted to go home very, very badly.

* * *

"The wedding ceremony," Pakku explained, "is broken up into three parts. The first part is the presentation of the bride. She will appear before the groom and he will pledge to her to provide for her and their children always. She will then pledge to him to care for him and their children as well."

Zuko was in Miksa's tent, letting her make the final alterations to his wedding attire. He rotated his stiff neck a bit, which warranted a slap on the arm.

"Prince Kozu, stop fidgeting," she fussed.

He sighed and stood attentively again. "Continue, Master Pakku."

"Next, we have the blessing. You and your bride will be blessed, in this case, by Kanna. She will ask you to drink wine from a shared glass, representing the equality and partnership of a marriage. Then you will be asked to recite a prayer, then you will do a ritual similar to the one from the other night. She will cut your hand, and you will cut yours. You will let a few drops of blood fall into a bowl, then Kanna will mix the blood with the bones of a tigerseal and a few other things you don't really need to know and bless the union of your bloodlines. After that, you will do the same motion you did at the ritual and repeat another prayer."

"This boy is too skinny, Kappu," Miksa snapped.

Pakku pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, as if to ward off an incoming migraine. "Yes, we're working on feeding him, Miksa. Please, stop interrupting."

"Watch your tone, young man," she retorted.

He rolled his eyes, "Yes, ma'am. Anyway, Prince Zuko, back to what I was saying. The last part of the wedding is that you and Katara will light two small fires, representing the individuality of your lives. Then you will push the fires toward a large pit filled with timber to ignite a large fire. Next, you'll walk around a large fire in eight steps, representing the phases of the moon. You will repeat your vows of marriage, and when you have completed the walk, you will be married."

"Sounds very involv - _ouch_!" he shouted as a stray pin from Miksa found itself in his arm.

"Whines a lot this one," he heard her mutter as she pulled the pin out and redo it properly.

* * *

_"Never forget who you are," his mother said, holding onto his hand tightly. "I love you so much, Zuko, and I am so proud of you."_

_Her grasp relaxed and he clenched a bit tighter. "Mom, no. Please don't go-" he begged, feeling her hand go completely limp._

"Mom!" he cried out, sitting up quickly.

The firebender rubbed his eyes, then reached over to light a lantern. It had been the same dream, around the same time every year. The anniversary.

Truthfully, once a year had been a drastic improvement from when it first happened. When he had first lost her, he couldn't stop dreaming about his mother for nearly a month and a half.

It had to be the middle of the night still, but he couldn't really tell from the abbreviated daylight. Zuko quickly decided a bit of long overdue firebending practice would put his mind at rest. Or he at least hoped it would.

He sat up and pulled on his boots and parka, then stumbled outside the room a bit. A Water Tribe guard looked at him expectantly.

"Do you need something?"

"Uh, no. Training area is that way, right?" he motioned his thumb to the right. The guard nodded and he walked towards the exit.

The cold wind bit at his cheeks when it blew through and he cupped his hands to his lip and breathed into them to keep them warm. He walked up the set of stairs to the raised platform and began rotating his shoulders and neck to loosen up.

_"Pay attention to your measurements, Zuko," she had said. Baking was Ursa's guilty pleasure; she enjoyed sneaking off to the kitchen and making something with her son late at night. Chocolate honeycomb cake had been her favorite. Sometimes, Iroh would stumble upon them and join them, brewing tea to help them stay awake. _

_Chocolate honeycomb cake was the last thing they made together. They made it the night she collapsed. After that, she never got out of bed again. _

He bent over at the waist, feeling the stretch through his leg, then stood up and grabbed his right leg from behind. After a moment, he switched and grabbed his left.

_"Moms are tough, don't worry. I'll be okay," his mother said when she first fell ill. Her eyes were weary, but she never complained about feeling ill or tired. She still baked with him, but he rarely saw her eat. Her face grew thinner by the days. Once he heard her talking to his uncle, saying she was tired and didn't know how much longer she could hold on. _

He punched in the air, a series of fireballs releasing from the end of his fist and disappearing almost as quickly as it had generated. He cycled through a series of kicks in the air in front of him and released a bit of fire with each blow. She would have wanted to come to his wedding, she would have wanted to see the South Pole. She loved the snow.

_"It's nothing, I just bit my tongue," she had lied when he saw red staining a white handkerchief. She always lied to keep him from worrying, even at his firebending exhibitions for school. No matter how tired or ill she was, she was there to support him. _

The prince turned and kicked sideways at the air, giving an aggressive cry with the motion. He then somersaulted forward and let a jet of flame follow his leg down. When he landed he laid back on the ground and rolled backwards, springing up and sending out another wave of fire. The fire was extinguished when it collided with a wave of water.

"Sorry, I didn't want to get hit," Katara explained. She shifted her weight and hugged herself a bit. "I can go though, if you're practicing. I know you haven't been able to."

"It's fine," he said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands.

She looked down a bit. "Are you crying?"

"No," he said quickly. "I got some dirt in my eye."

"There's no dirt in the South Pole, Zuko," she replied softly.

"I knew that. I meant snow."

She bit her upper lip then asked, "Do you want to train with me? It helps to practice with someone you know."

"Maybe later, I'm a little spent," he lied.

The waterbender sat down at the edge of the stairs. "We can just sit here."

I want to be alone, he wanted to say, but his legs already carried him to the steps. He plopped down and encircled his knees with his arms, drawing them to his chest, then rested his head on top of them.

"Do you want to talk about the 'snow?'" the blue eyed woman asked, playing with the hem of her parka.

"Not particularly," he answered.

"Okay," she said. "We can just sit here."

"You already said that," he said quietly.

"I guess I did," Katara said. "Well, if you want to talk about it, we can. And if you don't we don't have to."

He nodded and pressed his forehead to his knees, hiding his face some. She was trying, he really had to give her the credit. Though he wondered if it was genuine concern, or just her putting on an act until she got her necklace back.

"Her name was Ursa. My mom," he said after a moment.

"That's a pretty name. What was she like?"

"Beautiful," he cleared his throat and lifted his head. "Smart, kind, and gentle, too."

"I lost my mom, too," Katara said. "Her name was Kya. The necklace, it's all I have left of her really."

"What happened to her?" Zuko asked.

"The Fire Nation happened," the waterbender replied faintly, looking up at the sky.

He suddenly felt ashamed. No, he had not personally killed Katara's mother, but he had always seen the war very one-sided. What had the Water Tribe done to the Fire Nation? Who had the warriors of the Water Tribe killed; what pain had they inflicted in his people? It wasn't until this moment he considered what _his _people had done to _hers_. _  
_

"I'm... sorry. I didn't know, I- can I ask what happened?" he stammered a bit.

"It's a long story, maybe I'll tell you another day," his fiancée answered. "Anyway, she and I used to come out here and look at the aurora, and pray the war would end so Dad could come home. Now I just come out here to think. Sometimes, if I'm alone, I'll talk to the Southern Lights. I feel like maybe she hears me if I do."

The green lights looked like waves rippling through the dark sky that was decorated with an infinite number of stars. The frozen desert was harsh, but it was beautiful in ways he couldn't have imagined. He thought that Ursa would have loved to have seen it; she had such an appreciation for the planet's natural beauty.

He cleared his throat a bit, "I've never really thought about the damage the war has done to our people from both sides."

"To think about what your people did to mine? I never thought of it from your perspective either, truthfully. It's hard to admit you've done things wrong."

Zuko bit his tongue thoughtfully then added, "It's hard to humanize the other side because it makes it that much harder to tell someone else to end their life."

Silence.

"My mom would have liked to have met you, I think," Katara said after a moment. "She says - _said_ I'm hard to handle and I have the temper of a mother sabertooth mooselion. You're really the only one aside from Toph and my grandmother to stand up to me."

"Don't forget stubborn and unreasonable," he added sarcastically.

"You're a real comedian, _Kozu_," she snapped back.

"I know," he said, looking up at the sky.

"But you're very honorable, and you really show a great amount of dedication to your people, especially with all the rituals, so, uh, thank you."

He thought his mother would have really liked to have met Katara, too.

* * *

_Posted: 06/21/2012_


	9. Chapter 9: Cold Feet

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 9: Cold Feet

* * *

"Come on, Zuko," Sokka said, jerking the animal pelts off the bed. "We need to get ready. Breakfast first."

He hadn't slept a wink. The prince sat up, swinging his legs over the bed and staring at the floor. The floor made sense; it was there. It was cold, it was made of ice, but it was solid from years of snow compacting and freezing over - and the reinforcement of some crafty architectural waterbenders. Just like the walls, and tea, and even the seasons (not that there were really any here in the South Pole). He had attained a new sense of clarity, a nirvana, with respect to everything around him.

Except marrying Katara.

He swallowed hard and rose to his feet, pulling on layers of clothing over his body. He chewed his lower lip as he thought about everything. Zuko had heard from different war veterans that one's life flashes before his or her eyes in a life or death scenario. Was marriage one of those scenarios?

"Are you even listening to me?" Sokka asked.

"Ow," Zuko grumbled, touching his lip with his middle finger and bringing it back. His tongue ran across his lip and he tasted a familiar metallic tang. "Sorry, I bit my lip. What were you saying?"

"Don't worry about it," the warrior shrugged. "Just, you know, information about the marriage, today's itinerary, how not to embarrass the entire Fire Nation - nothing major."

The firebender sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly with one hand. "I'm listening, Sokka."

"Breakfast first, of course. Next, your uncle will go receive your guests while we get you ready for the ceremony. We're talking the whole shebang: bath, oils, lotions, scrubbing every piece of dead skin off your body. Then you're going to eat because you won't get to really after the wedding because of all the entertaining of the guests. Then you get dressed, we go over the ceremony several times with you throughout the entire process as well to make sure everything goes smoothly."

His mind stopped processing information at the mention of guests. Most likely nobles and members of the royal family like Lu Ten, Lu Ten's wife... and without a doubt his sister. A chill traveled down his spine. He knew Azula wouldn't dare do anything outright. No, no, she was too smart and discretion was her strength. But she would, without a doubt, make an attempt to wreak hell on him in some fashion or another.

"Come on, let's go," Sokka instructed, walking outside to the hallway. He followed the warrior and closed his eyes, running his hands through his hair when he felt his body collide with another.

"The hell?" Toph grumbled, stumbling back a bit. "Who's there?"

"I'm sorry, Toph, I wasn't looking," he apologized.

She waved a hand absently at him. "Yeah, whatever, Sparky. Who's gonna help me to breakfast?"

"Here, just - just climb on my back, and I'll carry you to make it up," he offered as a sign of peace. Zuko leaned down in front of her and grabbed her hands to put them on his shoulder. "Wrap your arms around," he instructed and she complied, then he hooked his arms through her legs and lifted her up.

He remembered how he had carried Azula on his back like this when she had sprained her ankle at the beach once; when he was still her big brother, and when "Zuzu" was a nickname of affection and not one of belittling.

"You smell like salt," she lamented. "He's getting a bath right, Sokka? I don't foresee Sugar Queen bedding Sparky if he smells like seal blubber."

Sokka made a noise that could only be described as a combination between a screeching winged lemur and the unagi of Kyohi, "No talking about anyone, husband or not, defiling my sister!"

"She needs a good defiling if you ask me, been asking for it for years," the earthbender commented, propping her chin on Zuko's shoulders.

The prince shuddered a bit, clearly uncomfortable with the way the conversation was heading. He also predicted he would get somehow dragged into the bickering.

"No one is defiling my sister, least of all Zuko!" he shouted, causing Kanna, Pakku, Hakoda, Iroh, Katara, Aang, and Suki to all train their vision on the shouting warrior. After a moment, their eyes all targeted on him.

Great.

* * *

Iroh stood beside his nephew, arms folding inside his sleeves as Zuko sat in the hot spring. "Being nervous is normal in this circumstance, Prince Zuko."

"I'm not nervous," Zuko lied, staring at his hands.

"Nephew, I helped your mother change your diapers when you were first born. I fed you, and I was not afraid to administer discipline when your father was away from home. I think I know when you're lying," he said, placing a reassuring hand on the young firebender's arm. "Just like when you lied about Lady Katara cutting your hair."

He looked down shyly. "You knew?"

"I knew," Iroh confirmed. "But you were so intent on protecting her, even when she was wrong. Even when you had every right to walk away, but you still lied. And more than that, you lied for a purpose. Do you know what that tells me, Prince Zuko?"

The prince sank down into the water a bit, the water rising to his shoulders. "What?"

"It tells me you'll be a good husband, and a good leader one day. You made a sacrifice for the greater good - that's what your great-grandfather always would have wanted for you."

"Fire Lord Sozin?" he asked, cupping some water and splashing it on his face. The water was hot and stung his skin a bit, but he welcomed any feeling that wasn't associated with being cold.

Iroh shook his head. "No, your mother's grandfather - Avatar Roku. I have to go greet our guests, but I will see you at the ceremony. Good luck."

Sokka, Pakku, and Hakoda stepped into the room a few minutes after Iroh had left and began going over the order of events for the wedding again. He had heard it at least half a dozen times, but his mind had kept mixing things up. He couldn't remember if he was supposed to light a fire before he said a vow, or when he was supposed to kiss her. Wait, was he even supposed to kiss her? Or was that an Earth Kingdom tradition?

As Pakku reviewed the process of events, Zuko plucked the bar of soap sitting on the edge of the water and began lathering it in his hands. It lathered very easily, but unlike the soaps back home, it smelled very plain; it smelled the way the soap had tasted when his mother forced him to wash his mouth after he repeated a word he had picked up from a palace guard.

_"__Princes do not swear like sailors at age nine, Zuko. I don't want to hear you say this word again," she said firmly. _

He used a two sided cloth, scrubbing at his shoulders and then used the soap in his hair. How long had it been since he last had a decent bath? Would he only get to bathe like this for special occasions? He washed his face, teeth, and hands regularly but he had been used to bathing at least once a day back home.

"Maybe we should take a break," Hakoda said abruptly.

Pakku frowned. "But, we need to make sure he knows the order-"

"He hasn't been listening for the past five minutes. We're just wasting our breath," Hakoda pointed out, then looked at his son. "Sokka, just talk to him."

"Okay," Sokka said, sitting down at the edge of the water and rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you going to get weirded out if I take a bath in the hot springs? It's, uh, common for Water Tribe to bathe together and I have to anyway since I'm a member of the family-"

"It's fine," Zuko said absently.

The cerulean eyed warrior nodded, then began undoing his boots. "A lot of people are surprised to find out we have a hot springs underground here, but since we're at the northern most tip of the glacier, it's actually not ridiculous. It makes it nice that we don't have to spend all day heating up the water, too."

"Yeah, it's nice," the firebender said, admittedly grateful he didn't have to keep firebending to maintain his bath water's temperature.

When Sokka was finally undressed, he slipped into the water and pulled his hair down. "You know, I was nervous, too. Before I married Suki. I didn't eat, actually. Everyone thought I had come down with something. Truth was, I was afraid. I didn't know if I was ready. What if Suki wasn't ready? What if we were too young? What if I died in this war? What if I wasn't over Yu- someone else? What if, what if?"

"Then you realized you loved her," Zuko said, going to rinse the lather from his hair.

"No, actually; it got worse. I almost called off the wedding. Until, you know, Katara slapped the absolute hell out of me with one of her water whips," he laughed. "But even then, as I was waiting at the top of the stairs to the amphitheater, I was still afraid."

The amber eyed man looked at him with surprise. "What did you do?"

"When I saw her, I knew it was meant to be." Sokka rubbed his shoulders with the soap. "I know you don't know Katara that well, and while she's my baby sister and I think she deserves to be with someone who loves her as much as she loves him, you're... doing this for a noble reason. And I respect that. You and Katara are a lot stronger than I've ever been in those respects. You have conviction to sacrifice your own happiness for what's right. So I hope that when you see her, you'll remember what you're doing."

Zuko tried to give a reassuring smile, before pulling himself out of the water and covering himself with a thick towel. He thought he saw the shadow of an young airbender in the hallway, but when he looked again, it was gone. He supposed his mind was just keen to playing tricks.

* * *

This was it. He was getting married. He stood, shifting his weight at top of the stairs near the entrance of the amphitheater as his eyes searched the crowd. The majority of people were, by default, members of the Water Tribe, but a significant portion was comprised of familiar colors of crimson, black, and gold.

Lu Ten stood at attention at the bottom of the stairs beside his uncle. He was tall, and his presence very commanding. When his eyes flickered to the crowd, he tried to pick out how many people he knew. It wasn't hard to pinpoint his sister; she had a crowd surrounding her, pretending to hang on her every word. Her golden eyes flickered up towards him, and he thought he saw her painted lips curve into a sinister smile.

He heard a cough behind him, and turned to see a figure, dressed in purple and silver. A thin fur hood decorated with the black stripes of a white tundra tiger was covering her head and shadowed most of her face. Instead of her traditional mittens, she wore purple gloves and she had a piece of black cloth in her hands.

"I'm going to blindfold you, then we'll walk down the stairs. When I take the blindfold off at the bottom, the ceremony begins. I don't know if Pakku mentioned it to you, but the blindfold will represent darkness. When I remove it, you'll see me by firelight and moonlight. It will represent the spiritual enlightenment you receive by being with your soulmate."

He flinched a bit as the waterbender said "soulmate." Soulmates were sort of a myth in the Fire Nation, bedtime stories told to children, but truthfully, he had never considered if soulmates were something he believed in.

His train of thought was interrupted as he felt her hands reach up and tie the black cloth around his eyes. His breathing became staggered and he immediately wanted to run as far away as fast as he could. As he waited for her to finish, he considered running briefly. With just one hand motion the blindfold would be gone, and he could run to the ship and hide. He wanted his mother more than he ever had in his life; he wanted to cry into her shoulder like he had when he was a child and burned his hand in the oven, feel her rub his hair back, listen to her sing a hymn to soothe his sobs...

He felt a pair of hands take his and give them a squeeze: Katara's hands.

"We're going to start walking now," she said softly, then began leading him down the stairs slowly. He heard a slow and steady pace of a drum and a set of flutes, whispers from the audience became hushed. He felt his foot began to slip, but her hand squeezed his tightly and she stood still to steady him.

After a moment, she continued walking and leading him down the stairs. Her fingers laced through his and he took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind. He really wanted a cup of tea more than he had ever in his entire life. Then he felt the blindfold loosen and move away from his vision.

He blinked a few times to refocus his vision, taking note of how close Katara's body was to his as her hands circled around him to undo the knot of the blindfold. He heard her whisper, "Remove my hood so I may be enlightened as well, then we'll begin the ceremony Pakku described to you."

Zuko's hands trembled as he reached forward and moved the hood down from Katara's head. Her hair was different; all the beads, braids, and feathers had been undone. It was glossy and curly, pinned up in different areas by jeweled combs, and he looked in her eyes. He saw every emotion, every tense nerve, every doubt, and every fear he had reflected back to him.

But he also saw one thing that caught him completely off guard: hope. And he was willing to try.

* * *

_Posted 06/22/2012_

**A/N: **Ugh, mother of God, that was actually very hard to write. I also ended up cutting part of this chapter and using it for the next one since this was getting excessively long lol. I had lots of Zutara feels writing this chapter so I hope you guys get some of your own. As a side note, I get a lot of inspiration for the setting of the South Pole by our own geography: did you know there's a hot spring in Antarctica? :) It's called Deception Island and it's at a northern tip of the continent. In addition, it's the home of an active volcano! Crazy stuff.

**Boogum: **The wedding ritual is inspired by various Native American traditions and a little of my own twist. Specifically, the part about the fire. I added the 8 phases of the moon because it is the Water Tribe ;)

**JediRunnerGirl: **Aha, I am found out! Actually, yes. I thought that Nora's line was something I could hear Ursa saying. Bonus round if anyone can guess what Ursa died from; I gave a couple hints in there lol.

**CrystalIceFire:** Can't answer anything about Aang's feelings without giving some spoilers away, but if you review the chapter between Zuko and Aang's brief dialogue, there's a bit of a hint in there to which way it leans.

Meanwhile, I am getting super excited for the Legend of Korra season finale. If you want to see some of my babbling/banter/fangirly feels, check out my tumblr page. I have the link posted in my profile, and I love getting new followers. You are also welcome to ask me questions about my ficstuffs be it this fic, other projects in progress, upcoming projects, or anything I've already completed. :)


	10. Chapter 10: Sibling Rivalry

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 10: Sibling Rivalry

* * *

Katara chuckled a bit as Zuko's hand trembled while he grabbed one handle of the wine goblet. It was heavier than he expected, made of moonstones and silver and the dark red wine was resting in crystal. The handles were shaped with bone, and each one wrapped around the side of the wineglass. They had made it through the initial oath of provision and caring, and now they had moved on to the real ceremony.

"Steady," she cautioned. "Drink slowly."

Kanna said something and lifted her right hand up; his turn to drink. He pulled the glass towards him a bit and drank a slow sip. The wine was dry and slightly bitter, a hint of pepper lingering on his tongue. Katara pulled the glass towards herself after Kanna lifted her left arm, and he loosened his, watching her take a sip.

The elderly woman reached forward, accepting the glass and saying, "May the spirits bless the union of man and wife, such that they are equal like the sun and the moon."

The spectators from the Water Tribe repeated it while the Fire Nation natives looked around suspiciously; they remained silent during traditional ceremonies. Audience participation was not looked highly upon.

"Repeat after me, Prince Zuko, Son of the Fire Nation," Kanna said, handing a bone dagger to him. Katara turned her palm upwards and held it over a bowl with what looked like tiny bones, feathers, a few dried herbs, and clay beads.

He took her hand in his and repeated the prayer as he made a small incision. "I, Prince Zuko, Son of the Fire Nation, do pray for the blessed union of our bloodline, and so promise my body to you until the sun rises from the west and sets in the east." He moved her hand slightly, letting a few droplets of blood spill into the bowl before handing her the dagger.

"Repeat after me, Lady Katara, Daughter of the Water Tribe," Kanna said next, as Katara took Zuko's palm in hers.

"I, Lady Katara, Daughter of the Water Tribe, do pray for the blessed union of our bloodline, and so promise my body to you until the sun rises from the west and sets in the east," her eyes flickered up to his for a moment and he could see a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She thought it was funny.

After dripping some of his blood into the bowl, she grabbed his hand and placed it against her heart, then rested her cheek against the side of his other hand, just like they had over a week ago.

"We're almost done," Katara whispered faintly, only he could hear. "Just hang in there."

The rest of the wedding proceeded smoothly, with just a few hitches. The first being when Katara struggled to light her small fire after the candle had gone out, he picked up a stick and lit the end of it, handing it to her. She bowed her head a bit to thank him. The second was when he slipped on the ice while walking around the large fire. He quickly recovered his balance but he heard an all too familiar chuckle from the audience.

At the end, Kanna brought two bowls of paint and Katara got down on her knees in front of her grandmother. A small tug on his hand informed him to repeat the action.

"May the moon bless you with the wisdom of the Water Tribe, and we graciously accept you now as our son," Kanna said, pulling her index finger from the blue paint and drawing a crescent on his forehead. She placed the bowl down and picked up a new one, switching to her middle finger and looking at Katara. "May the sun bless you with the strength of the Fire Nation, as you are now their daughter," the elderly woman said, drawing a red sun on Katara's forehead.

"You are now married in the name of the spirits."

Zuko was ashamed to later admit he fainted.

* * *

"He's coming around," the familiar voice of a warrior said.

"Prince Zuko, is everything okay?" his uncle asked, pressing a warm, wet cloth to his cheeks.

"Everyone back up," Suki said.

His eyes flickered a bit and he kept blinking to refocus his vision. "What happened?"

"You, um, kind of fainted, Zuko," Katara answered. "I think it was from dehydration. Have you been drinking enough water?"

His face turned a bright shade of red and he immediately covered it with both hands. "I fainted? Great. Just perfect."

"It was kind of funny, actually; we thought your mouth was gonna start foaming. This one kid started crying and-" Sokka laughed a bit.

"Sokka, go eat something," Katara snapped at him.

"Hey, I was just trying to make him feel better!" he replied defensively.

The Kyoshi warrior grabbed her husband by his parka and dragged him away, grumbling at him for being inappropriate.

"I leave him in your capable hands, Princess Katara," Iroh smiled and handed her the cloth before rising and going towards his own son.

The waterbender smiled at him in return, then looked back at Zuko. "How's your head? You kinda hit the ice hard. No blood, just a hell of a knot right there," she touched the right side of his head gently.

"It's fine," he lied. "Was it really that bad?" Zuko asked, rubbing his eyes in shame.

"No, no," she said gently. "I mean, it's okay. You're just dehydrated and exhausted, that's all. And the polar nights tend to get to everyone, you know? Your sleeping schedule isn't entirely normal, but it'll get better. No more super early mornings and very late nights, you know?"

He snorted. "You're a terrible liar."

"You're pretty horrible yourself," she replied. "Your head is most definitely not okay."

"Well, I'm fine. I'll just sit here for a few. Go be with your friends and family, it's your wedding reception," Zuko said.

Katara shook her head. "It's _our_ wedding reception. In the Water Tribe, we don't abandon our partners. We stick with them, until the sun rises from the west and sets in the east. Come on, let's see if you can stand."

She reached to loop her arms through his, helping him recover his balance and sit up.

"Well, well, well, poor little Zuzu can't even stand by himself."

The newlyweds turned around and looked into the golden eyes of a woman. She was petite, and adorned in black armor trimmed with gold. Her dark hair was pulled up into a topknot and adorned with a piece in the shape of a flame. Her eyes were seductive and intimidating, and her lips were painted red.

"Azula," Zuko grumbled a bit. "Nice to see you made it in one piece."

"Of course I would make it; I wouldn't miss little Zuzu's wedding for the entire world," her eyes flickered over to Katara. "Very plain. Suits you, brother."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't you have people to go suck the life from elsewhere since you can't make friends?"

"Oh, such hostility," Azula sneered, looking at her fingernails. "I have to admit, the wedding ceremony was even more barbaric than I thought it was going to be."

His eyes flashed. "Go away, Azula."

Her lips curled into a smile and she twirled her finger around her bangs. "Or what?" Zuko stood silently, staring at her. His heart was pounding and he could feel his blood boiling. One more comment and he would be breathing fire.

She shrugged after a moment, then turned around, "You and your simpleton wife are beginning to bore. See you later, Zuzu."

"That's your sister?" Katara asked as they watched the young woman walk away.

"Yep. Pride and joy of the family, at least when Father was around," Zuko said faintly.

The waterbender shook her head. "I know we just got married, but I've heard this thing about it being frowned upon for Fire Nation men to hit women. So since we're married, I thought I'd let you know I'll be happy to clean her clock anytime you like."

"That won't be necessary; she's just here to antagonize me. Don't take anything she says personally. It's more for you than against me," he replied.

Zuko didn't want to admit the truth to Katara, he could see the look in her eye as distinctly disapproving of his relative. But the waterbender wouldn't understand, and sometimes he himself didn't understand. Then Azula would look at him, and he would soften because she just looked _so_ much like his mother.

* * *

"Katara, can I talk to you for a minute?" Aang asked shyly, looking down.

The waterbender looked at him, then to the firebender, then back at him and nodded. "Uh, sure, Aang. If you'll excuse me," she lowered her head then stepped away.

"She's very nice," Lu Ten said after a moment. "I heard you had a rocky start, Zuko."

"Yeah, something like that," Zuko replied absently, watching Katara walk away with the young Air Nomad.

Iroh chuckled. "She's very spirited. Reminds me of your mother, Lu Ten. Ah, Mei Zhen was such a firework," he said fondly. "I knew she was the one for me when she rejected my advances despite knowing me as the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation."

"So I've heard you say before, Father," Lu Ten remarked.

Zuko nodded at Iroh as well, having heard the elderly firebender say something along the same lines before.

"I received your letter about having a traditional Fire Nation ceremony as well," Lu Ten said. "And I think it's a good idea. It will reinforce, and we can invite members of the Northern Tribe to the ceremony to reinforce our treaty."

"Great," Zuko nodded again, still the corner Aang and Katara had disappeared behind. They had been talking for quite a while; what were they talking about?

The Fire Lord then said, "Meanwhile in Ba Sing Se, rebel armies of flying lemurs have invaded the palace and are now imposing martial law."

"I agree," the prince replied absently.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Are you listening?"

"Huh? I'm sorry, I spaced out for a moment." Zuko returned his focus to his family.

"Hadn't noticed," Lu Ten quipped. "Why don't you go check on your wife?"

"I'll do that," the firebender said, going to walk towards the direction his wife and her friend had gone. He heard his uncle say something about matches made by spirits, and Lu Ten laugh, but decided not to pay any mind to it.

He finally heard voices when he neared the corner.

"Aang," she sighed. "I don't know what to say."

"Don't you love me too?" he asked, his voice cracking.

Another sigh. "Yes," Zuko felt a bit of anger at her admission. "But I can't do anything about it. I have responsibilities."

"We'll find another arrangement! There are other people who can marry Zuko; why do you have to do it?" he said.

"Because who else would be worth the same to the Fire Nation as me? They can't just marry him off to a fisherman's daughter; the Fire Nation barely considered me acceptable, and I'm the spiritual leader. They might as well have-"

"But I love you!" he cut in, sounding like he had started to cry.

She grew silent. "And I love you, too, Aang; I always will. But I can't annul my marriage to Zuko; there's too many things at stake."

"You dont have to keep sacrificing yourself like this," Aang protested.

"If I don't, who will? I lost my mother to this war, at the hands of Ozai himself. I'm married to the son of the man who killed my own mother in front of me. Sokka lost Yue; he held her as she died in his arms. Do you know what kind of disarray he was in when I found him, covered in her blood? I won't have someone suffer the way we did, not anymore. If anyone would understand self-sacrifice, I thought it would have been you, Aang," she almost shouted.

"I'm sorry," he said weakly.

"Me, too. I didn't mean to yell," Katara apologized.

After a few moments of silence, Zuko walked back towards his family, speechless.

"Is everything alright, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked.

"Yeah," he lied. "Everything's perfect."

"Are you sure?" his uncle pressed.

"Yes; do me a favor and give this back to Katara when you see her. I'm going to go for a walk," he shoved his hand in his pocket and handled a necklace to his uncle before walking off silently.

It seemed he would never stop being the son of a horrible man.

* * *

_Posted: 06/24/2012_

**A/N: **Last few chapters have been a bit more serious in nature, but there's a lot of serious baggage attached to the marriage so c'est la vie. I promise some more lightheartedness will be upcoming in the future. Also, thank you all! I have over 100 reviews on this, and that's awesome. :) Keep sending in your thoughts, I'm enjoying reading them.

**dreadfuldelights: **No he has not; in an earlier chapter, Sokka told him to take it slow. The Water Tribe is aware that this is not a tradition practiced by the Fire Nation, ergo Zuko has no experience with carving betrothal necklaces. You will know when he gives her his betrothal necklace :)

**Avain26: **She did indeed die of consumption. Good going. ;)


	11. Chapter 11: Atychiphobia

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 11: Atychiphobia

* * *

"Sulking isn't very becoming of a prince, Sparky," Toph said, plopping down on the ice beside him gracelessly.

"How did you find me?" he asked, turning around and seeing Sokka retreating.

She laughed a bit. "Snoozles helped me. I think he's grown fond of you. It's probably nice for him to have someone to talk about 'manly' things with. That, and he's probably worried you and Sugar Queen had a fight."

Zuko snorted. "Overprotective older brother thing I guess."

"I take it you're not one of them by your tone," Toph laid back in the snow and began moving her arms up and down. "Siblings can be rough, but I used to be an only child. And since I'm blind, my parents treated me like a helpless little girl. Little did they know I was a champion of bending, the Blind Bandit." She had a wide grin on her face.

"And now you're a new big sister?" he asked, folding his hands in his sleeves.

"No, I'm the youngest sister. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Suki are my family. And I guess you are too now since you and Katara are hitched. When I first met them, they were the first ones to treat me like I was anything but handicapped," the earthbender said. "So, can I ask you a question without you getting offended?"

He imagined it would be about Azula. "No promises, but I'll do my best."

"Why'd you faint? I figured a guy like you has never fainted before."

Zuko snorted. "I haven't, actually. I don't even really remember it. One minute I was standing, the next I'm hearing Sokka talk about me foaming at the mouth."

Toph laughed at his comment. Her laugh was deep and strong, like her personality. He thought of Katara's laugh for a moment; it was twinkly and mysterious, almost ethereal - kind of like the waterbender herself.

"Snoozles has a thing for the theatrics," she brought her knees up to her chest and sat upright.

"I've trained so hard, gone days without water, food, or sleep. Done a lot of things, but then I- I-" he fumbled with his words. "I don't know, I guess."

"Want to know what I think?" she said.

"What?"

The green eyed girl tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "You're afraid."

"Of what, marriage?" he laughed.

"Yeah, actually. I fainted once. Turns out I had this fear of flying. It had to do with not being able to see, I think. Do you know they have a name for it? Pteromerhanophobia. Try saying that three times fast," she laughed. "The first time I rode on Appa I fainted. For only a few seconds, then I heard Sokka talking about foaming. Guess that's a thing with him."

"Really?" he asked quietly.

She nodded once. "Sure did. After a while, I got used to it. It still kind of gives me the heebie jeebies but I don't faint anymore. It's all about facing your fears."

"Well, uh, thanks, Toph. I appreciate it."

The earthbender smiled blankly, then thrusted her fist out and made contact with his arm.

"Ouch," he groaned, rubbing his arm. "What was that for?"

"It's how I show affection," she smiled. "Just relax; I'm sure this is all in your head. I'm sure you'll be a decent husband. You haven't killed her yet and Sweetness has quite a knack for getting on my nerves, that's for sure."

"There you are," Iroh said. "We've been looking for you two!" We? Katara? He turned to see it was instead the pregnant Kyoshi warrior.

"I wasn't sure if you were still here, Toph, so I came to check. Sokka wanted me to get you since they're having a airbender fruit pie eating contest; he's challenging her and Aang," Suki said jovially, taking Toph by the arm. "Come on, I want to see you win for the girls of the Earth Kingdom!"

The elder man took a seat beside his nephew and waited until the two females were out of earshot. "Want to tell me what this necklace is about, Prince Zuko?"

"It's her mom's. I figured she should have it back since I can't carve that one I'm supposed to," he shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing major."

"It is major; you were holding onto it as punishment for her cutting your hair. She had to earn it back. I think she's been very amiable with you thus far. I'm not questioning the timing, I'm questioning your methods for returning it, Prince Zuko. She should receive it from you," he said, handing the necklace back to him. "Not some old man, but her husband."

"I don't want to give it back to her."

"What has you so upset? You're not yourself. I'm concerned. Is it the polar nights? I realize they are not something we're entirely familiar with, but I've never heard of anyone, firebender or not, acting this way. Between your fainting and everything, is something wrong? Is it being married? I told you you would be a good husband," Iroh said.

Zuko looked away. "Like my dad was to my mother? The way he just sat there and let her die, how he betrayed us, how he did nothing when she got sick!"

"Prince Zuko, do you blame your father for her death? Consumption is tricky to predict; we're lucky only herself and a few others fell to it," his uncle said.

"He could have done more, he wouldn't even see her when she was dying," he said coldly.

Iroh inhaled deeply, then cleared his throat, "His wife was dying. Your father has always been a very complex man; I'm not justifying his actions, I'm simply saying it's hard to understand him. Truthfully, I have not always been the man who sits beside you at this moment; there was a time where I was rash and impulsive. When Mei Zhen died during childbirth, I was angry. I'm ashamed to admit I resented my son at first. I had never felt so much love and so much hate harbored towards the same thing before. In retrospect, I am disgusted with my behavior. Unfortunately, our family has a tendency to nurture hate and resentment. I have always hoped for you to be more and rise above that. I have hoped that for Lu Ten as well."

"What if I'm just like him, though? People think I look like him, and all these Water Tribespeople see is a face of the enemy."

His uncle stroked his beard thoughtfully for a moment. "You think because you look like my brother you will be him? Princess Azula favors your mother quite well, but I would say the two of them are certainly not cut from the same fabric. You are not your father; you should not need me to tell you this. You've always been a better man than him."

"And these people from the South Pole, they spend so much time concerned with 'providing.' I don't know how to do that. I can't hunt the way Sokka can, I can't navigate these ships with just sails and things! How am I supposed to 'provide' for Katara? How am I supposed to 'provide' for a child? I'm not qualified to be a parent. I should do the world a favor and stop this bloodline," Zuko admitted.

"I see now," the elder man said. "This isn't just about being a husband, this is about being a father. I first believed it to be typical wedding nerves and a bit of your mother's passing, but now I see. There's a lot that troubles your young mind. I suppose you fainted because of your fear of disappointing along with your eating, drinking, and sleeping habits."

"I've gone without eating and sleeping before," Zuko shrugged.

Iroh looked at his nephew. "But were you determined to survive, or were you terrified of repeating Ozai's mistakes and failing your duties as a father and husband? You are more than terrified - you're mortified and traumatized, Prince Zuko. I can see it in your eyes."

The prince remained silent, looking at the green glow of the southern aurora. Finally, he felt a comforting arm wrap around him and pull him in.

"Prince Zuko, you are your mother's son. And you have always been a son to me as well. I think any child will be lucky to have such a honorable man as their father. You have been brave and valiant, rising to any challenge that has stood before you. A wise man once told me when my wife passed that everything happens for a reason; things fall apart so better things can fall together. Remember that."

"Thank you, Uncle," Zuko said after a moment of silence.

* * *

After a while, the prince retired early to his room feeling positively exhausted from entertaining his guests. Katara was still chatting away with her friends and fellow tribespeople when he left, and he supposed she would probably be there until the wee hours of the morning. Despite her being his wife, Zuko decided that Katara's sleeping habits were none of his concern.

He stripped down the bulky layers and wedding parka he was wearing, folding it haphazardly and placing it on a chest. When he was in the warm garments he wore to sleep in, he climbed into the bed and pulled the animal skins over his body. Sleep, however, decided not to grace him with her presence, so he found himself deep in thought over his uncle's words.

_"You've always been a better man than your father."_

_"I'm sure you'll be a decent husband."_

The voices of his uncle and Toph rang in his head. What made them so confident? No one else has ever been.

_"Again! Do the drill set again!" Ozai shouted. "Get it right!"_

_"Dad, I'm trying." an eleven year old Zuko protested. _

_Iroh's brow furrowed. "It's an advanced set, Fire Lord Ozai. He's doing quite well."_

_"No, he's not. He's just whining. Just like a pathetic weakling. Azula got it right her third try. Why can't you be more like your sister?" he scoffed. "Do the set again and get it right."_

He rubbed his temples at the faint memory. "Be more like Azula," he said aloud. "Be more like Azula." he said again, deepening his voice. "Be more like Azula!" The prince threw a pillow at the animal skin, and he heard a groan.

"Uh," Katara said, stepping into the room, holding the pillow. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, I was just - nothing. Is there something I can help you with?" he asked, folding his arms and sitting up a bit.

"We're married now," she said.

He furrowed his brow. "Yes, I remember that."

"Do you?" Katara asked, smirking. Was she mocking him?

"Yes, I do recall we're married, Katara. What's your point?"

She tossed the pillow back at him and he caught it. "Married couples share a bed."

"Oh, because it's our wedding night?" his cheeks turned bright red.

"No, Zuko, because we're married. Don't married couples share a bed in the Fire Nation?" the waterbender sat at the corner of the bed.

The firebender flushed deeper and covered his face with his hand a bit. "I... well, no, actually. With royalty and most nobility in the Fire Nation, husbands and wives have different chambers. Most marriages are political and they're not ready to share a bed. And some men take to lovers beyond their spouses, so this is to avoid shaming her."

"So husbands cheat on their wives?" Katara said simply.

"No!"

"That's what you just said. Marriage is a monogamous relationship, by taking on lovers, it's being unfaithful to your wife. Plain as day," she said.

Zuko sighed. "No, it's different in the Fire Nation. I can't explain it."

"Hey, I'm not judging. It's your culture. But let me just say, just because that's how things go in the Fire Nation doesn't mean it's how things go here. If you get caught cheating, you'll disgrace me, this marriage, and our union will be immediately dissolved," her tone grew serious rapidly.

"Oh, so now you're accusing me of adultery when you're the one in love with another man?" the prince snapped and clapped a hand over his mouth. He didn't mean to let it slip he had overheard their conversation.

Her face quickly grew serious and she grabbed another pillow, hitting at him with it. "You were eavesdropping on me! Are you freaking serious?"

"Katara, wait, I didn't - I just went to check on you and-"

"And you overheard my entire conversation, a private conversation with Aang?" her face was bright red and her eyes flashed anger. "How dare you!"

He tried to grab the pillow from her hand and she flicked her wrist, splashing him in the face with a small squirt of water. "Katara!" he grabbed her by the wrist and tried to jerk the pillow from her. "Katara, stop!"

"No! It sounds like you just know everything about me. I mean, seriously? Are you kidding me! I can't believe you just started spying on me!" she shouted.

"Are you angry I overheard you, or are you embarrassed about what I heard you say?" he snapped, finally pulling her makeshift weapon from the waterbender's hands and tossing it aside aimlessly.

"I-I-I-" she stuttered. "You need to let go of me."

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "I was going to say I went to check on you and make sure you were okay. I overheard you said you loved him, that's it. I wasn't spying on you."

"Oh, that makes everything better," she threw her hands up in the air as she scrambled to sit up. "Thank you for clearing it up that you went from pure intentions to nosy."

He growled a bit, going to get up. "Oh, yes, Katara. You're such a victim here."

"And you're a-a-a- you're a jerkbender," she barked.

"Your wit astounds me," he replied dryly. Like hell she was getting her necklace back now. "I was going to do something nice, but I've changed my mind." He grabbed a pillow and stormed out into the hall, trying to find somewhere else to sleep.

"Just where are you going? And what were you going to do?" she called after him, following him into the hallway.

"Somewhere quiet; here's a hint, you won't be there." he snapped, rolling his eyes.

Katara moved to get in front of him, trying to block his way. "Why? Because I'm right and you know it? You didn't answer my question about what you were going to do, either."

"Think whatever you want, I'm tired of this. I want to go to bed. So let's just drop it." Zuko replied. He didn't get it. One minute, he thought she genuinely cared about him and maybe this marriage would work. Now, he doubted it.

"You can't just run away when we have a fight. Married couples don't-"

He whipped around and pointed a finger in her face. "Here's a novel idea: we're not a real couple! We got married to stop a war. Nothing less, nothing more. You told me you would never love me, and the feeling is mutual. So just... stop nagging like an actual wife and go sleep. You're starting to annoy."

"I'll show you annoying!" she stalked after him.

Neither of the pair noticed Sokka, Suki, or Toph watching them stampede through the common room to the other side of the palace bedchambers.

"One firebender, one waterbender, and two hot tempers. This marriage is on it's merry way to hell," Sokka said, watching the couple.

Suki just shook her head a bit as Toph cracked a smile and said, "This is gonna be great. I'm never leaving! It's going to be like a comedy theater every single night."

* * *

_Posted: 06/25/2012_

**A/N: **Hi, okay, these past few chapters were a bit serious in nature, but I got a bit of lightheartedness in at the end. I think though, that there's a lot of serious things going on here, so this fic can't be all giggles 100% of the time. There's gonna be points throughout the story that address/highlight these issues, but I wanted to give more information on Zuko as a character. Though in this storyline he's never been exiled/scarred by Ozai, it's obvious to see he's got some definite emotional scarring and sometimes the scars you can't see are the ones that hurt the most. P.S. For those of you wondering, atychiphobia is the irrational fear of failure.

**Asharion: **I've mentioned this before in an earlier chapter, but the reason Avatar doesn't use swear words is because this a show that is rated Y-7. My audience, however, is not Y-7; I'm an adult, writing for teenagers and older. Since this is an AU, I've taken different creative licenses with it, and there are things I will be dealing with that are maturer concepts, such as sex. This isn't going to be smut-fest 3000 but, you get the idea - it is a marriage, things will be talked about ;). However, I do respect your opinion/thoughts so don't think I'm completely dismissing you either! :) As for his hair, it was a traditional topknot.

**Kimberly T: **It _is_ a cliché plot device, but I hope this chapter cleared up some of the reasons why he did, especially since it was a bit more serious in nature. Zuko didn't faint for a lack of food/water/sleep; even though he's sans scar, the guy still has some huge issues dealing with the chapter's titular phobia undoubtedly due to his childhood (which will continue to be addressed). Anxiety makes you do irrational things, and speaking from personal experience I myself blacked out from my acrophobia when I was at the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

**a123b: **There's a bit of angst, as that goes with the character of Zuko, but it's for development purposes. :) Zuko also doesn't have a facial scar in this story.

**Poupou-pidou: **Ah, yes, well, I think that Kataang is something people need to address quite honestly unless they write Aang completely from the story. I chose to include him, ergo, it needed to be (and will continue to be) addressed.

**cruorem: **haha oh wow, yikes! my experiences with blacking out are due to phobias or anxiety, actually. Had a really bad/rough experience with heights when I was in Pisa. u_u not really sure why consumption is the death of choice. My particular reason for choosing it is the Avatar time frame. Since LoK is pegged circa 1920s our timeline, 70 years before that is 1850; a lot of people died of tuberculosis around that time and it's not treatable at that time frame either. ;) and sure, a little drama doesn't hurt anyone.

**PanPan: **ah, thank you! lol yes, this one has a lot more going for it than Ethereal did, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you'll read Wild when I get it going eventually. Definitely not the last of Lu Ten or Azula; Katara and Zuko are obviously the main characters, but there are plenty of characters who will have strong supporting roles in the story. this one is definitely going to be MUCH longer than Ethereal.


	12. Chapter 12: Heart to Heart

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 12: Heart to Heart

* * *

"Rise and shine!" Toph barked outside the room and barging into the room.

Zuko groaned, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "How do you know I was decent?"

"Hello?" Toph waved her hand in front of her sightless eyes. "And based on the way you and Sugar Queen were bickering last night, I doubt you even made it to first base."

Great, so everyone heard them fighting. This marriage was just shaping up to be flawless beyond recognition, and they hadn't even been married twenty-four hours yet.

"C'mon Sparky, chop, chop. I need someone to carry me to breakfast. Then you have to go help Katara do husbandly things."

"Husbandly?" he scoffed, going to pull his boots on before stooping in front of her. "Hop on."

"You'll see." She put her arms around his neck. "So how was the wedding night?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he said nonchalantly.

"That's okay; between all the screaming, I have an idea of how it went," she teased.

"Not like that!" he flushed.

She snickered. "You probably won't want to tell those Water Tribe people you didn't consummate the marriage then. They take it seriously here. Like, you're supposed to consummate ASAP."

"Katara and I can barely have a conversation without wanting to bite each other's heads off; I don't think consummation is gonna happen any time soon," he lamented, heading towards the dining room.

Toph whispered in his ear, "I don't know if you know, but sex doesn't really require a lot of talking."

He made a noise in discomfort, turning an even brighter shade of pink as Toph made her comment.

"You look nice and rosy this morning, Zuko." Suki smiled.

"You must be getting fatter, Toph," Sokka teased. "All those pies you ate made it hard for him to carry you. "

As the firebender let her slide off his back, she cracked her knuckles. "Maybe I'll give you a fat lip to match."

"It's too early for fighting, guys," Katara frowned, sitting down. Always the diplomat when it came to everyone, but him. When it was just the two of them, they made gladiator's sparring to the death seem like old chums gathering around a pot of tea and game of paisho.

"Agreed," Zuko quipped. "Some of us didn't get any sleep last night. Don't know if you heard it, but I heard the ferral yowling of an annoying brown-haired pygmy puma all night."

A pair of cerulean eyes narrowed at the prince; he simply shrugged and ladled some broth into a bowl.

"I didn't hear it! And I didn't think it was warm enough for pygmy pumas in the South Pole," Aang said, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

Toph snorted at the airbender's obliviousness and Suki covered her mouth.

"I didn't hear it either; must have been masked by the untamable snoring of a loud komodo rhino," Katara replied.

The Kyoshi warrior coughed to mask her laughter.

"You guys sure had weird dreams," Sokka shrugged. "I didn't hear anything."

The earthbender snickered while the warrior's wife flicked her husband's ear and nudged him.

"What'd I say?" he grumbled, his mouth full of meat.

"Ugh, I need fresh air," the waterbender finally said, rising to her feet. "Don't forget we're gutting and cleaning tigerseals for dinner tonight. It's traditional for a husband to help his new wife prepare their first meal together."

"Looking forward to the miserable hours," Zuko mumbled to himself as she walked out with the airbender on her heels.

She has the audacity to give him a lecture about adultery, meanwhile the lovesick Avatar follows her around like a puppy? If that wasn't hypocritical, he didn't know what was. But that was okay; he'd add the tally marks to how much longer it would take for him to give her the necklace back.

"Zuko," Suki frowned a bit. "I know Katara's being a bit abrasive, but marriage is about compromise. You two should try to settle your differences amicably. It'll make for less of these type arguments, and then everyone could sleep better at night."

"And keep you from melting down the entire South Pole," Sokka added. His wife looked at him again, her eyes narrowing. "What? What'd I say?" he asked, his mouth full. Zuko got the feeling Sokka asked that question rather frequently.

* * *

When Zuko stepped into the igloo where animals were brought from hunts, Katara was literally elbow deep in a tigerseal. Her bare arms were covered in blood and she was working on pulling out the organs from the animal. Her eyes flickered up to him for a moment.

"Gonna help, or is it too much for your weak stomach?" she asked.

"I don't have a weak stomach; I've had to hunt and clean animals before," he said simply.

The waterbender shrugged a bit, plopping the liver down in a container. "If you say so. Might wanna roll your sleeves up."

"I was," Zuko said, going to do so after taking his gloves off. The cold air licked at his fingers and he immediately wanted to replace the fur-lined gloves.

"So, a brown-haired annoying pygmy puma, huh?"

"Komodo rhino, huh?" he asked, going to kneel beside the tigerseal. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Help me with the intestines." she said, then added, "You know, I'm trying really hard to get along with you and be nice, but you make it hard when you take cheap shots like that. I was willing to let last night slide."

He narrowed his eyes, going to grab at the small intestine. It was slimy and disgusting, and the smell was undoubtedly horrible. How Katara managed to do it with a straight face baffled him, but he opted against breathing through his nose.

"Oh, you were willing to let it slide? Sages, how kind of you. What ever have I done to deserve such a thoughtful wife?" he said dryly.

She rolled her eyes and reached through the ribcage, giving a firm tug and making a small grunting noise. "You're impossible," she sighed.

"I'm impossible? I'm impossible even though you're the one who professed your love for another man the same night you vowed to be my wife? That's really rich, Katara. You know, I thought we were past this bickering and disagreements. I respected you and this union, and I was beginning to think I could value your friendship," Zuko said, using a knife to cut around the anus of the seal.

The waterbender glared at him, "While you hold my mother's necklace hostage and eavesdrop on a private conversation? I trusted you!"

"Don't you dare turn this around on me while you verbally assaulted me then tried to beat me senseless with a pillow," he seethed.

"It was a pillow," she said, wiggling her fingers in the air. "Not a steel bar."

"The charming part was I was ready to give you your mother's necklace back. And even better, I was going to apologize for what my father did to you," Zuko gave a firm tug and gathered the length of the tigerseal's intestines before dropping them in a large container. His eyes flickered over to Katara's to see she was silent and motionless.

"You heard that too?" she said, her voice weak.

He snorted. "Sure did. I was going to apologize for my father, for my country, for holding your mother's necklace, everything. Then I was going to ask why you even agreed because even the Fire Nation would understand not wanting to sacrifice yourself for your own people in this instance, and then promise to dedicate the rest of my natural life as your husband trying to make up for Ozai's sins against you."

"Zuko," she murmured, her eyes cast downward.

"Don't. Don't you dare feel sorry for me," he said, going to work on removing more of the organs. "I don't want your pity."

The silence was only interrupted by the crackling of the fireplace nearby them. He moved to grab his knife, slicing his hand at the junction between his thumb and index finger.

"Damn," he grumbled, pulling his hand back and going to clean it with snow.

"Let me see," she said quietly, taking his hand.

His heart was pounding and his blood was boiling. But was he angry at her, at himself, or his father? Probably a bit of all three. He watched as she rinsed her hands in a bowl of water near the fire pit, then bended a bit to his hand to close the wound.

"Why did you do this? Why get married to the son of your greatest enemy?" Zuko asked finally. "I don't understand you, Katara."

"What's there to get?" she asked. "We were at war, we needed a resolution. I'm doing it for the Water Tribe."

He scoffed. "Right. I'm sure the Water Tribe was so eager to let their spiritual leader marry the son of the man who killed her mother."

"No one knows." she added. "Well, Aang knows now."

"So that's why your family went for it," he said, taking his hand back and going back to gutting the animal.

"I asked my grandmother how she could ask me to dishonor my mom's memory by marrying me off like this, and she told me that sons should not be held accountable for sins of the father. She told me I was being childish if I was going to hold you accountable for what Ozai did to our tribe - not knowing what he had done to this family. Even though she didn't know, she was still right."

Her sapphire eyes met his golden ones for a moment. "When my mother died, I saw everything from behind some animal skins. I saw his eyes, I saw those... yellow eyes. He looked like a demon," she closed her eyes and her body quivered. "And when I saw you walking off the ship, you just looked so much like him I wanted to be sick."

Zuko frowned at her. No wonder she'd been so cold with him before; but despite her respect and dedication to her people, he didn't understand why she didn't call it off when she saw him. Only a fool marries a constant reminder of misery.

"Then you looked in my eyes," she said. "And they were different. They were... sad. Strong, but weary. They were different. I don't know how to explain it, I just - I just knew you were different from him. I can't explain it. I know I should be better, and I shouldn't treat you like Ozai, but it's hard and I'm just... I'm scared." The waterbender blew a piece of stray hair from her eyes and reached inside the ribcage to remove the heart.

The prince instinctively grabbed her hand and she looked at him perplexed.

"My hands are dirty," she frowned.

"What a coincidence," he said. They sat looking at each other for a moment when he finally opened his mouth and said, "I'm sorry I called you a pygmy puma."

The tension in her body dissipated and a flicker of amusement crossed her face. "You do sound like a komodo rhino, but I'm sorry I told everyone."

"Are you mocking me?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Probably. Yes," she laughed a bit, then pulled her hand from his and resumed her work. "Hurry up, we still have to hang it up to cool and clean up the mess."

The firebender looked around. There were organs separated into several dishes - depending on which the Water Tribe would consume and which they would not - and his hands and the majority of his forearms were covered in sticky red liquid. As he hastened to finish the work, suddenly appreciating how easy it was to clean small game on hunting trips in comparison to a large tigerseal, an idea crept into his brain.

"Katara, I'd like to duel with you," he said casually.

"Duel?" she asked, standing and going to lift the tiger seal onto a rack with his help.

"Yes. My firebending against your waterbending," he explained. "Unless you're not confident. Which then, I can understand - me being a firebending master and all."

The girl clicked her tongue. "Wow, cocky aren't we?"

"Scared?" he shrugged. "It's okay, I understand. I'm pretty intimidating."

"More like arrogant," Katara snorted. "Whatever, Sparky, you're on."

* * *

Zuko sat beside Toph at lunch, polishing off some seaweed noodles and fish. "So I challenged Katara to a duel. My firebending against her waterbending."

The earthbender stared in the direction of his voice for a moment, then cracked up. "You've got balls of steel, I'll give you that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he frowned.

"Katara's waterbending can sometimes make Aang look like a toddler and Master Pakku look like he needs to consider early retirement," the blind girl lamented. "Not to mention she's competitive as anything. She's not gonna go down without a fight."

He shrugged. "Good, I need a challenge."

"You might want to double your food intake then; you're going to need every ounce of energy you got, especially with the moon on her side."

The firebender scoffed as if her statement was ludicrous, but reached out to add another helping of noodles to his bowl. "So what's the story with Aang and Katara?" Was that too forward? He gauged by the grin breaking out on Toph's face their situation was something she was well aware of and quite acquianted with.

"Oh, the saga of Twinkletoes and Sweetness," she chuckled. "Now that's an epic poem that makes the one recounting the tale of the first Avatar look like a light reading. Aang has always had warm gooey feelings for Sugar Queen, but she's always been a bit harder to peg. At least when I last saw them on _real_ ground, that is. I can feel heartbeats through the vibrations of the earth and when he's around her, it feels like an earthquake. I can just feel his excitement, but with her? She's more nerves than excited. It's hard to explain. What makes you ask? Checking out the competition? Well, you are married, so it is game over for Twinkletoes."

"No, it's not like that. I just... I just had a feeling is all," he said quickly.

"I may not be able to feel your heartbeat but I can sure as hell hear your voice. You're lying," Toph said plainly.

He made a face. "I'm not. I don't like Katara like that. We're... being strictly cordial. This is a business arrangement. A partnership."

"And eventually in this partnership, you're going to have to slip her the _business_," the blind girl stated, Zuko's cheeks flushing at the thought. "It doesn't matter how you cut it, this arrangement will eventually get personal. But look, you want to know what you said that night you proved to the known world you can't handle your liquor?"

"What?" he asked, almost afraid to know.

"You had this huge heart-to-heart with Suki saying you felt you could 'relate' since she was a fellow 'outsider.' You told her you were relieved that Sugar Queen was hot, and you were looking forward to your wedding night," she shrugged.

His face was very red and he had taken to covering it with his hands. "I didn't... please say I didn't actually say that."

"Okay, you didn't exactly say that. You told her that Katara was more beautiful than most girls in the Fire Nation, you wished she would give you a chance, and then you said you wanted to go back home," she said. "Now do you want to know my opinion?"

"I doubt my saying, 'No,' would keep you from giving it," he said simply.

Toph threw her head back and laughed, then punched him in the arm. "Good call, Sparky. Anyway, I think you and Sugar Queen are a lot more compatible than you think. You're both stubborn as hell, you're self-sacrificing, got tempers that could ravage the lands if you wanted them to, and whether or not you want to admit, you find each other attractive. So quit screwin' around and just give it a shot."

"Who says I'm not trying?" he frowned, folding his arms. "She keeps getting mad at me."

"Because you two love to fight. Maybe it's your mating call. Look, don't get me wrong, I've fussed at Sugar Queen, too, and I can promise it doesn't take a sighted woman to know her face was probably just about as red as yours is."

He doubted that.

* * *

_Posted: 06/27/2012_

**A/N: **As always, thank you guys for your continued support. I promise Katara and Zuko will have their moment of glory. It's just too soon for a kiss yet, yes? :)

**RosePearl: **Since the story is told in Zuko's perspective, we don't get to know what Katara's doing when he's not around her, so that's why we haven't seen the other side of Katara instead of feisty and angry. She will have her day though, Zuko just needs to be there at the right place and time. We will eventually get a lot more background on the war, and Katara's background with Toph and Aang. :) I pwomise.


	13. Chapter 13: Holding All the Cards

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 13: Holding All the Cards

* * *

"So I hear you and Katara are going to duel tomorrow," Hakoda said over dinner.

Though Miksa had discussed the celebration following a marriage, it was actually somewhat tamer than it had been the previous few nights. Most of the Fire Nation guests - particularly Azula and Lu Ten's wife - had departed that morning. Only Lu Ten and Iroh were left, along with Zuko.

Lu Ten looked at his cousin and raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know that Princess Katara was a waterbender. That is delightful news. Perhaps the spirits will smile upon the marriage and bless them with both a waterbender and a firebender."

Hakoda nodded, but added while looking at his son, "Both would be a joy, I am sure, but a warrior is good, too."

Sokka's eyes lit up a bit at the mention. He wondered if the soon-to-be chief ever felt undermined by how treasured his sister was. The Water Tribe seemed to deeply revere waterbenders, and even more so, their precious spiritual leader.

_Perhaps you two can bond over being second best, _Azula's voice rang in his head.

"So they are, so they are," Lu Ten bowed his head a bit, then began discussing something about politics and trade routes. Sokka occasionally chipped in, as well as Suki and Iroh, but Hakoda and Lu Ten dominated the conversation while Zuko began eating some of the stew Katara had helped prepare for dinner.

_"Men and women do different kinds of work," Kanna had explained when Zuko helped bring the cooled tigerseal meat to the large pit. "Men provide, and women care. It is the way of nature, just as with the Moon and the Ocean. The Ocean provides water, the Moon cares for the water by way of the tides. You will provide for your wife, and she will care for you and one day your children."_

_Initially, he found the concept to be initially a bit sexist. When said - politely - the idea would be considered discriminatory in the Fire Nation, Kanna simply shook her head and a small smile played at her lips. _

_"Do you think Katara is oppressed?" she asked as the two watched the young woman cut up the meat with the aid of some other women._

_"I don't know," he shrugged. _

_The elder laughed again and placed an index finger against the center of his forehead lightly. "Think, my son. You provide food and furs for Katara, and she will prepare it to eat or wear for you, herself, and the children. But if you are unable to provide, she will leave you and denounce you as a worthwhile partner. You will be fed, but it is unlikely a woman will ever accept your hand unless you prove yourself again. The object of the Warrior Games is also another way for the man to prove to his wife he will be able to provide for her. That he has wisdom, strength, courage, and cares for her wellbeing. Unfortunately, it is her who holds all the cards, my son." _

"More stew?" Katara asked, ladling some into her bowl.

The stew had the tigerseal meat in it as well as some sea prunes. Initially, it was very salty and tangy, but the more he ate it, the more he grew to at least tolerate it. It was warm, and anything warm was ideal in these miserable climate conditions.

"Yes, please," he said, going to take it from her. She shook her head and went to ladle some into his bowl for him before passing it on to Sokka. "Oh, thanks," Zuko said.

"You're welcome," Katara answered, continuing to eat and watching the platform at the base of the amphitheater.

A drama of some sorts seemed to be going on, but everyone was highly engrossed in conversations. At least, all except Katara. She watched it intently, only breaking eye contact to look at her bowl of broth to make sure she wouldn't spill any. It seemed to be carried on in a language he didn't understand, and he frowned.

"What's going on?" he asked, leaning over and whispering near her ear.

She swallowed, then dapped her lips with the edge of her sleeve daintily before looking at him for a moment. "It's the story of the Moon and Ocean's descent to our world," she explained. "It's very traditional."

"What are they saying?" Zuko scratched his arm a bit, trying to concentrate on the play. A girl was wearing white clothing and glided across the stage, almost like a famous ballerina at the Fire Nation courts while a tall, muscular man in dark blue moved around in choppy yet fluid movements.

"It's a language on spiritual leaders know anymore, actually. Truth be told, I'm not as fluent as I should be," she blushed. "But it's a story everyone knows, so while the actors memorize the lines and recite them, no one actually speaks it. It's kind of a dead language.

"Anyway, the story according to legend is that the Moon and the Ocean, their names are Tui and La, once were great enemies. Tui was to be the wife of the Sun, as the pair would illuminate the sky alternately. They would meet twice a day; once at dusk, once at dawn. La found her to be beautiful and fell in a deep love, hoping to win her heart," she explained. "But Tui was stubborn. One day, La called to her, declaring his love, and she grew angry, pushing and pulling the tides. Then Tui realized that while their love was forbidden and looked down upon, she had never felt so alive than when she was pushing and pulling the tides of La. She fell in love with him, but the Sun was angry, threatening to kill La so the seas would dry up to punish the lovers. So Tui and La left the Spirit World and came to the mortal world in order to prevent such an imbalance. They now circle each other eternally, unable to touch."

Zuko cleared his throat and watching as Katara dabbed at her eyes gently. "That's, uh, well, that's a sad story."

She raised her eyebrows at his awkward response. "It is, but it's very beautiful and one of my favorites."

"Mine as well, Princess Katara," Iroh cut in.

The younger firebender looked to his uncle. "Uncle, I wasn't aware you were listening."

"Ah, I rather love the story of Tui and La. Tragic lovers, but they made an ultimate sacrifice for the safety of the mortal world. It is very touching. Especially how enemies grew to love one another. We could all do to learn from their story."

The amber eyed man narrowed his eyes and his uncle gave a coy smile. Zuko wasn't naïve; he knew exactly what Iroh was talking about. When he turned to look at Katara, he saw her covering her face with her hand discretely and blushing. It would seem she knew exactly what he meant as well.

* * *

"Remember, Prince Zuko," Iroh told him the next afternoon. "Firebending comes from the breath. Inhale and release with power and meaning."

The firebender nodded, looking at the moon. It seemed closer than he had ever seen it before; was it just like this in the South Pole? While this was a "friendly" duel between himself and Katara, she had a clear advantage. He would have to apply very rapid and unpredictable techniques to best her.

His uncle advised, "If you want to win, strike quickly."

"Thank you, Uncle," he nodded.

Lu Ten clapped a hand on his cousin's shoulder with a smirk on his face. "In my experience, sometimes it's best if you let your wife win. She'll make up for it later."

"Oh, for the love of-" he muttered to himself. Lu Ten was, without a doubt, a chip off the old block.

"Ready, Sparky?" Toph asked, feeling her way around the wall.

"Yeah, let's get it over with I guess," Zuko replied.

She reached her arm out for his. "I told her to go easy on you so you wouldn't get your butt kicked too hard," she joked.

"You're so considerate, Toph," he groaned.

Lu Ten and Iroh snickered behind him. "We're right behind you, Prince Zuko. Good luck!"

He had a feeling he needed more than luck.

"By the way," Toph said casually as he walked with her towards the training platform behind the palace. "Sun might be coming up here in a bit."

"Oh?" he asked, trying not to sound too excited.

She laughed and pinched at his side some. "Don't get too giddy, Sparky. The sun will rise and set in about, what did Sokka say... six or seven minutes?"

"Seven minutes!" he almost shrieked.

"Or six," she reminded. "Just.. kinda stall for time, then make her history. Only not literally."

"Why are you helping me?" he asked out of curiosity as he stopped at the base of the stairs to the raised platform.

"Because Sugar Queen gets a bit of a chip on her shoulder and I'd love to see someone give her a good run for her money. She's pretty funny when she gets mad," Toph gave him a thumbs up then reached her hand backwards. Suki took her hand and pulled her back.

He moved and saw not quite as many spectators as he expected. Then again, it was the middle of the afternoon (despite still being dark), and he suspected most of them were out completing chores or hunting and didn't have time to see a duel, no matter who it was between.

Zuko removed his gloves for firebending, watching as Katara stepped onto the platform. Her hair was pulled back into a tight braid. She stepped towards the middle and waited for him. "Come to the center. We will bow as equals, though since I am the spiritual leader you will bow a bit lower."

Had it been his first time in the Water Tribe, he would have frowned, but he had become so accustomed to Katara's inherent higher status that he felt she didn't even need to mention it to him. He stepped towards the center and placed his fist against his open palm, bowing at the middle while Katara bowed halfway. She stepped back, holding her arms in a defensive position.

"How will we determine it's over?"

"One of us will yield," she smiled, watching as he stepped back. "Begin."

No sooner had she said those words her arms moved to her right, pulling a mass of water and projecting it towards the prince. He punched forward, a jet of flame following after and resulting in a small fizzling noise. The waterbender continued pulling water, reaching forward and going to grab around his ankle like a large tentacle.

He shouted in surprise and swept his foot through the extension of her arm, severing the connection with more fire. She moved her arms back, summoning more water to her aid, thrusting it forward to catch her target. Zuko somersaulted to the side and kicked several times in succession, followed by a series of punches projecting fireballs at her.

Katara used water to extinguish them quickly, flicking her wrist and shifting the water to icicles before launching them in his direction. He dragged his foot sideways and released a burst of flame to eliminate the projectiles.

Think of something else, he chided. From long range, Katara had the clear advantage. Firebending was made for closer range targets. The prince ran forward, kicking at her several times and reaching forward to punch a flame at her. She shifted her weight sideways, easily avoiding the attack and extinguishing it with water.

What are her weaknesses? It was hard to tell; he had never seen her waterbend in a combat situation. Strengths were easy to pinpoint: the moon was, without a doubt, enhancing her abilities, and long-range attacks were definitely her forte. He wondered how apt she would be if he tried closer melee combos.

He kicked himself forward several times, punching more fireballs at her and forcing a wall of fire towards her. She twisted her torso sideways, turning to look at the ground as she pulled more water. He somersaulted forward, bringing his foot down and a cascade of flame following it. She brought up a shield of ice to protect herself as she fell backwards, rolling over her shoulder.

Her hair was falling from the braid, small strands dancing in the wind. He continued his assault, summoning a fire whip as she produced a round table of ice. She swept her hands over the ice, sending sharp discs towards him and he used his whip to shatter them. He summoned a second whip, destroying the plateau and sending Katara reeling back.

When he lifted the whip to crack at her again, she jerked her arm backwards sending a long extension of water to grab both of his hands. He struggled to release, kicking his feet but she summoned another burst of water towards him, targeting his feet and freezing them to the platform. He growled, going to inhale when the waterbender crashed water over him, freezing it instantly and trapping him inside the dome of ice.

A small glint caught his eye and he looked to see the dark hue of the night turn to a purplish pink color. He smirked, watching as the waterbender held her stance. Her hair was mostly, if not completely, out of the braid and she was preparing for him to strike at her again. He inhaled, concentrating before forcing the ice to shatter with an explosion of fire.

Katara predicted this, going to launch another jet of water at him and he kicked at it, evaporating the water before rolling forward. She swept her arm sideways, grasping him in a prison of ice when he felt the sun tickling his face and illuminating her bronzed complexion. The sapphire eyed woman looked up, breaking her concentration for a moment.

Zuko inhaled sharply before breathing out, releasing a large volume of fire and melting the water. Katara summoned water to shield herself and he punched, knocking her backwards on her back. She quickly recovered, scrambling to her feet and pulling more water to encase him. He quickly melted it, breathing in and out and quickly eliminating her few attacks.

"I rise with the sun," he taunted.

Her eyes flickered upwards desperately. She backed up, pooling water behind her and trying to create a longer range; she shifted from offense to defense. The waterbender knew of her disadvantage while the sun was up. Zuko continued his relentless assault, moving closer towards her, but for every step forward he made, she would make three in the opposite direction.

Finally, he saw an opening and pushed forward, exhaling a jet of flame to evaporate the water she was shielding herself with. He reached forward, grabbing her right wrist with his left hand and twisting her until he had pinned her free hand between his body and her back and had his arm wrapped around her neck.

"Yield?" he panted in her ear.

She paused and he noticed the sky darkening. Zuko twisted her, pinning her arm behind her and facing her now.

"Yield!" he demanded, his voice laced with frustration.

The waterbender was breathing heavily, and her eyes searched his. He felt a heat in his body he had never recognized before. The way the sweat rolled down her face, how her cobalt eyes were piercing and wild; why wouldn't she just yield?

"Katara," he growled her name.

She simply smiled and licked her lower lip. "Never." The woman leaned her head backwards then collided it against his face. Zuko yelped in pain when she climbed over him with an icicle in her hand pointed at his neck.

"Do you yield?"

It seemed Katara would always hold all the cards.

* * *

_Posted: 06/30/2012_

**A/N: **Sorry this took longer than I thought it would. Oops. I've had a couple things going on with business things and all, but here it is. Things are heating up between Katara and Zuko, so stay tuned to see what happens next. For the reviews now;

**Gettingimpatient: **Thank you for voicing your concerns. I respect your patience, I do, and I thank you for sticking around since day one. However, this is not a story that will go from 0 to 60 in just a few chapters. This is a **_very slow_** story, and Zuko and Katara's relationship will develop **_slowly_**. This story will be _very _long because I just don't see it realistic in how they will develop these feelings of immediate lust after being mortal enemies. Furthermore, I want it to be right when they kiss and right when they consummate the marriage; Katara and Zuko aren't ready for that. That being said, there are plenty of wonderful fanfictions out there that have faster paced plots for Zutara, and I'll be happy to give you some recommendations. But alas I regret to inform you that this fic is not one of them. So while I respect and want to make sure my readers are enjoying this fic, I understand it will not be the fic for everyone, and that's what's great because there are a lot of different options! ;) Please stay patient because I want the moment they kiss to be perfect, and I don't want anything less for my readers.

**Discombobulator0329: **Thank you very much for your kind words! I am deeply flattered you think so highly of my writing. :) It makes me feel good to know you enjoy it that much. lol!

**TeaBender: **I want this story to be very true to the ages of the characters; in this fic, Katara is 17 but she finds herself in a very adult situation, which is why she gets angry at Zuko for overhearing her. I don't know about you/the readers, but at 17, I was pretty selfish and I liked to blame others to absolve myself of responsibility and make myself feel better about what I was doing. ;)

**Avain26: **I haven't exactly written it into the story yet the exact guts of the entire conflict/what led them to this point, but you will see from both sides.

**NollasBlack: **This story is Zuko's story (where as Ethereal was Katara's); however, Katara and Aang are not resolved yet, so don't fret. You will learn more about them all in due time.


	14. Chapter 14: The Aftermath

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 14: The Aftermath

* * *

"Do you yield?" Katara asked, holding the icicle against him.

His eyes searched hers for a moment, then grabbed the pointed piece of ice, warming his hand.

"No, I do not," he said as melted water trailed down his arm in small rivulets.

The waterbender's eyes widened. Perhaps not in shock at what he did, she should know he could easily melt the icicle; was it surprise he was just as stubborn as she was?

Zuko wrapped his hands quickly around her wrists and forced his weight against her, flipping their position. His legs were on either side of her torso and he pinned her hands to her sides. Katara's eyes were ablaze and she struggled against him for her freedom. Her arms came up to strike him, but he pressed them down firmly.

"No," he shook his head.

"Hey! That's my sist-" Sokka shouted in the background before his shouts grew muffled. Zuko turned to see Toph's hand plastered over Sokka's mouth.

"Pipe down, Snoozles! Suki's giving me a play-by-play!"

"Do you yield, Katara?" he asked after returning his attention to his wife, his tone a bit mocking.

Her azure eyes flashed with rage and she continued thrashing against him. He pushed her right arm backwards over her head, followed by her left arm. She jerked her head forward, trying to crash her skull into his, but he moved back quickly. Not again.

"Now, now. Let's make this simple. Just yield already."

"I will never yield!" she said hotly.

Zuko felt a sharp pain in his back (was that her knee?) and he groaned in discomfort, breaking his concentration for a moment. Katara seized the opportunity and jerked her right hand free, pulling a river of water and crashing it into his face forcefully. The firebender rolled to her left side and she scrambled to her feet, jerking her parka off and throwing it aside.

He climbed to his feet, pulling his parka off and tossing it carelessly off the floor in a similar fashion. _Remember your breathing, _Iroh's voice nagged in his head.

The waterbender moved her hands from the right side of her body to the left in a swift motion, a cascade of water rushing towards him. He clapped his hands together and a concentrated stream of fire shot out and struck the water. He kicked sideways, charging at her with an arc of fire. Katara shifted her weight to the side, tucking her arms in and materializing a shield of ice to defend herself.

He moved his arm across wildly, trying to eliminate her shield while his wife continued summoning water to defend herself. When he stepped forward and reached forward she slapped his hand away with a stream of water. Damn. He ducked to avoid an assault of icy daggers, sweeping his foot along the snowy platform and sending another fiery arc in her direction.

She raised her hands, palm up, from her waist to her shoulders and created a small fence of protection around her frame. The more he watched her, the more it looked like she was dancing. It made him both intrigued and all the more determined to win. He rolled fowards and reached again towards her.

Katara lept sideways and thrusted her hands forward, creating an icy slope. She jumped on the slope and pulled her hands to her sides, starting to skid across the ice towards the opposite end of the platform. He saw she had recognized he was aware her limited ability at fighting close range. He gave an aggressive punch, sending a powerful blast of fire on a collision course for the icy bridge. When it impacted, he saw Katara's eyes grow wide in surprise as she fell forward and landed face forward.

He jumped towards her, hooking his right arm around her waist and pinning her left arm to her side with his other arm. The woman shrieked at her husband and used her right hand to send a shard of ice at him. Zuko pushed his weight forward and tackled her to the ground, pressing his torso against her back and pinning her right arm above her head with his own right hand. His upper left arm stung with pain, but he pushed the thoughts away as there wasn't a moment to inspect for injury. This time, he moved his knees and placed them over her thighs, pinning her violently thrashing legs to the ground.

Zuko leaned forward to speak in her ear. She jerked her head backwards and he moved his elbow to pin it towards the ground, then she gave a cry of frustration.

"Yield?" he asked.

The waterbender closed her eyes and bit her lower lip before mumbling, "Yes."

* * *

"You did a fine job, Prince Zuko," Iroh praised as he examined his nephew's bicep. After the adrenaline coursing through his veins had begun to settle, he remembered the sting of pain in his arm.

"She did put up a fight though," Lu Ten commented.

Zuko sighed a bit, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Is something wrong?" Lu Ten asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," he frowned.

The Fire Lord raised his eyebrows at his cousin then looked to his father. "Alright, I'm sorry. I'll go get someone to look at your arm-"

"No need, I'll take care of it," a woman said, pulling some water from a bowl and moving to the young man's side.

"Oh, very generous of you, ma'am," Iroh smiled. "May I ask what your name is?"

She moved her left hand to his arm, mending the skin. "My name is Kirima," the woman replied. "Clean cut; that Katara is precise."

"So it would seem," Lu Ten quipped.

"Anywhere else besides your arm?" the healer asked.

Zuko shook his head. "That's it."

"Surprising," Kirima teased. "Alright, well, you're all done. Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you." She bowed after returning the water to the bowl, then exited from the room. Zuko looked to see Lu Ten whispering something in Iroh's ear.

"What'd you say?" the prince looked at his cousin.

"I was just asking something about the princess," he said. "It's of no consequence."

"You always do that," he made a face at Lu Ten, sitting up some.

"Because I don't want you to worry about things that aren't of concern to you," the Fire Lord shrugged.

He grew annoyed at this response. "You mean like not telling me about marrying me off to an icy tundra water woman and sending me to this floating glacier completely unprepared?"

"That's not fair-"

"To me, or to you?" he snapped.

Lu Ten clenched his fist. "I am your Fire Lord."

"You're also my cousin, and like my brother. I thought you would treat me better than this. At least give me the illusion of a choice!"

"How dare you! After all I've done after your father escalated a simple disagreement to an all-out war!"

"Enough!" Iroh interrupted. "Prince Zuko is tired from his duel with the princess, and now is not the time to discuss any private family matters."

Zuko slid off the table, knocking his parka to the floor. "Let's not kid ourselves; we haven't been a real family in generations."

"Where is this even coming from?" Lu Ten scowled.

The firebender shrugged, walking towards the door and colliding roughly with his cousin's shoulder as he made his way to the exit. "Maybe it's just years of being tired of everyone treating me like a child with no say so in anything."

"Prince Zuko! Prince Zuko!" his uncle called after the young man as he stalked out.

"Woah," Toph growled as he brushed by her. "I believe the proper term is, 'Excuse me.'"

He continued walking by, huffing a bit in frustration while the earthbender said to Suki and Sokka, "What crawled up his ass and died?"

"Woah, watch where you're going," Katara frowned as he almost collided into her. The flush in her cheeks had died down and the sweat drenching her face was gone, but her eyes were still burning.

"Sorry," he grumbled, going to walk by her.

"I'm talking to you," she grabbed his arm. He jerked his arm back and she frowned as she looked at the bloodstain on her fingertips. "Oh, your arm."

"It's fine," he said.

"I'm a healer. It's at least proper and courteous of me to offer to make sure you're- oh," she said as she pushed aside the slashed sleeve to see mended flesh. "Someone else already did it."

"Kirima did it."

When she finally lifted her eyes to look at him, her eyes weren't burning with as much fury as they had been. She was angry, yes. But she was also a plethora of other feelings: surprised, frustrated, and something else he couldn't put his finger on. Some other feeling had taken up residence in her expression. He searched her eyes for a moment, trying to pinpoint the emotion.

"I could have done it, I'm the best healer in the South Pole" she mumbled, blinking a few times, then turning sideways as she crossed her arms.

"I didn't know if you would be coming by," he said.

She pursed her lips, then looked down as she said, "See you at dinner."

* * *

That night, the Water Tribe did not dine at the amphitheater. A heavy blizzard had set in, and everyone took to eating within their own homes.

"So," Sokka said.

"So," Suki repeated. "Sokka and I decided what to name the baby if we have a girl."

"Yeah?" Katara asked absently, poking at the stewed sea prune.

Kanna sighed dramatically, then rose to her feet. "Katara, it's a almost a full moon. Let us go meditate."

The waterbender stood up, pushing her bowl aside and leaving the room.

"Well, if this isn't a more awkward dinner than every time Snoozles tries to call Pakku Grampakku, I don't know what is." Toph sneered.

Pakku coughed into his hand trying to swallow at the blind girl's statement. "Excuse me," he said, taking a drink of water.

"Well?" she asked

"Ow, Toph, that was my leg," Aang frowned, rubbing his shin after Toph apparently had kicked him. Zuko presumed she mistook Aang's leg for his.

She shrugged. "My bad. Sparky, answer the question."

"I don't want to talk about it," he replied. "Can we just have a quiet dinner or something?"

"Why are you feeling sorry for yourself? You won. You spanked Sugar Queen, too. She's all in a tizzy about it," Toph frowned at his snappy reply. "If anything, you should be doing cartwheels or something."

"I said I don't want to talk about it," Zuko said hotly.

"Well, I do. We all do. It's awkward as anything when you two are all fussy about a duel. If it was going to make you this bothered you shouldn't have done it. This is the kind of behavior I expect if you lose-"

"It doesn't matter if I win or lose the duel because I still lose at everything else. I'm in a completely foreign country and I don't know when I'll ever go home, I have to live in this world without seeing a sunrise for a month, I can't do any of the things the Water Tribe does, and to top it all off, I'm married to a woman who doesn't even want to try to pretend to at least tolerate me after I've literally climbed to the moon to try and make it work," he finally snapped.

Toph blinked, a look of hurt crossing her face. "I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Zuko," Lu Ten began, frowning some.

"Excuse me," he said, rising to his feet and stepping away from the table to walk down the hall.

"Sokka, do something!" Suki hit him in the arm.

"Ow, what am I- ow, ow, ow, why don't you go?" Sokka whimpered.

"Zuko, wait," Suki called after him, jogging to catch up. "Can we talk?"

"About?"

"Katara. You. What's going on. You know," she said.

He folded his arms and paced around the hall some. "What do you want to know?"

"I know everything I want to know just by your expression and your word vomit," Suki said. "And I know what Katara's feeling, too. I'm not entirely sure what made you explode like that at dinner."

"I don't think I can win with her. I win the fight, she gets angry. But if I lose the fight, she'd just hang it over my head. She almost won, isn't that enough for her?"

Suki leaned against the icy wall. "Almost winning isn't the same as winning. You should know that of all people."

"Okay, but still. She's angry at me, then comes to heal my arm and gets all indignant about it when I already got healed? I thought I was doing her a favor not to trouble her. Did she just want me to walk around bleeding all day?"

"Zuko," Suki folded her arms, then tapped her finger against her chin. "I can't speak for Katara, but I have my suspicions about why she's acting this way. More than that, you two are very stubborn and on her behalf, she's incredibly proud. I take it you are, too."

"I'm not proud or stub-"

"Don't even say that," the woman held her hand up. "I saw you out there sparring. Both of you were fighting for your life; you were both too stubborn and proud to give up even when the other person had you at a very compromising position. You're stubborn, you're a fighter. So fight."

"You want me to beat my wife?" he scowled, his brow furrowing in confusion.

She began massaging her temples. "_What_? For the love of - no, Zuko. Not that I'd think you'd get very far, but I'm not saying beat Katara into accepting you. You need to just be more honest; tell her you can be a good husband, and insist she give you a chance by being a decent wife. You might grow to like each other if you'd both give it a crack."

"Right," he replied, unconvinced.

"I guarantee you'd be surprised. Just try it. If you want, you should ask the others their opinion, too."

He scratched his chin a bit. "I'll think about it."

"Sleep on it," she told him before patting him gently on the shoulder and walking off. He exhaled and looked to his left to lock his amber eyes with a pair of sapphire ones, replicating the same emotion he saw in Katara's eyes after the duel. He finally recognized the undetermined feeling as they disappeared behind the corner of a wall; it was hurt.

Or maybe he was just hallucinating.

* * *

_Edited Draft Posted: 07/02/2012_

**A/N: **Lots of constructive criticism after chapter 13; thanks for your contributions because it does help me improve as a writer. Hopefully this chapter satisfied some of the issues anyone had? I would have replied directly to your concerns but because this chapter was a direct continuation of the previous events, I decided to wait until I released this. I did edit this chapter after some pointing out in general inconsistencies within the flow of the story/chapter. After consideration, it needed a definite re-draft and switch-a-roo of events (thanks to Kimberly T for her suggestions/advice). If you have any more lingering issues, let me know and I'll try to address them. :)

**Herpestidae: **Thanks for your honesty! I appreciate your compliments and I appreciate your constructive criticism _even_ more. I completely agree that poorly written sex and action scenes can really take a lot away from a story, and my action was distinctly lacking. It's something I don't have a lot of experience with, admittedly. I hope that this action sequence was an improvement since I did my best to make it less clinical and sterile and more fluid. I will continue to research and hopefully it will continue to improve as I practice.

**dian247: **oh my gosh, haha! That's a serious compliment. Yes, I'm completely familiar with _Dangerous Ground_! Wilderness Writer is actually an old friend of mine from back in the day, but I believe her skills far exceed mine. Nonetheless, I am grateful of your praise. ;) I will do my best to keep the quality on par!

**Gettingimpatient: **There are time skips even if I don't state them explicitly; I'll try and be more clear about those time skips. For now, by my imagination, he met Katara about three weeks ago. Sorry for any confusion in those regards.

**Avain26: **Mai was mentioned in chapter 3 so she does exist. I will not comment on how or if she will affect the story to avoid spoils. But, I will give a hint and say there's still the ceremony in the Fire Nation to address.


	15. Chapter 15: Tell Tale Signs

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 15: Tell-Tale Signs

* * *

Zuko stared at the skylight from his bed, watching the green luminescence from the aurora dance across the ice. He'd gone to bed angry and hadn't said a word to anyone after dinner. Toph hadn't said a word to him after his explosion, he wasn't talking to Lu Ten, and Katara's feelings were hurt for some reason. He finally grew tired of not sleeping and rose to take a walk, lingering outside a pelted doorway as he heard voices.

"-do you mean you're 'worried' about him? What about my baby sister? Katara's one of your best friends," Sokka snorted.

The warrior sighed a bit, and he could hear her footsteps, "Yes, Sokka, I'm worried about Katara, too. But he's really upset this time. Did you see how he just snapped at Toph like a platypus bear? He's usually a lot more, I don't know, formal and polite than emotional?"

"Eh, he's probably fine. Just got some mood swings; Katara gets like that all the ti- ow!" Zuko heard a blunt sound. "Why do you always hit me?"

"You're being sarcastic and it's uncalled for," she said to her husband. "I dunno, I just feel like something else happened. I mean, Toph had a point. He should be happy he won."

Sokka yawned then said, "Well, apparently Iroh said Zuko and Lu Ten had the blow out of the century over Lu Ten just up and shipping Zuko off here. The ringer is I don't think our favorite hotman even knew he was getting married off. Then later Katara went to go heal Zuko after Gran Gran suggested it for sportsmanship and he completely snubbed her and he had been healed by some other chick. Oh, and apparently Zuko heard that Aang and Katara have things for each other."

"What? How did you find all that out?" Suki asked, her voice cracking with surprise.

"Oh, Toph told me when I was walking her to her room," he sad nonchalantly. "And she found out from Iroh and Katara."

"Sokka, what planet are you from? All of that is a big deal. Thanks for not telling me," she huffed.

The man whimpered some. "Don't tell me my beautiful wife is mad at me-"

The conversation quickly derailed from serious to sweet words from husband to wife. Zuko never expected to have the kind of marriage Sokka and Suki did; it wasn't how things worked in the Fire Nation. If you were lucky, you'd respect your wife, bed her on occasion, have at least on heir. But he'd admit the idea of having true feelings for a partner was nice in thought.

The firebender walked by Katara's room, pushing aside the pelts to peek at her. Her frame was covered by a mountain of animal pelts; she got colder than he did during the night. He noticed the green lights were more imposing in the room than his, and glanced up to see she had a wider cut in the ceiling. Strange. She stirred some, making a soft noise, and he dropped the animal fur serving as a door before returning to his room across the hall.

Everyone had told him that members of the Water Tribe shared a bed after marriage, even the chief and spiritual leaders. They were partners in life, and a little shared body heat was welcome in the antarctic. Yet Katara had agreed to remain in her old room, even though it was against her tradition. Was it because of Aang? Would they ever share a bed?

"Why do I care what Katara thinks?" he grumbled to himself, climbing back under the warm blankets and animal skins and closing his eyes.

* * *

He slept terribly the rest of the night, his mind racing with memories twisted into nightmares. He dreamt of the garden in the palace where he and his mother liked to play with turtle ducks; when his father was kind and played with him in the waters of Ember Island; when his sister would have a tantrum and he was the only one who could quell her shouts. But every time he approached the person in his dream, they were gone. It was pitch black, and cold wind licked at his skin while snow piled around him...

Zuko jolted awake in a cold sweat. He stared at the the dome shape of the ceiling, wondering what time it was as he ran a hand through his tousled hair. After lying back and letting his mind go blank, he finally sat up and swung his legs over the edge to get dressed. Regardless of what time it was, he decided a good night's rest was out of the question.

While he warmed the water he planned to use to wash his face, Sokka entered the room. His hair was down and a shaggy mess, and one of his boots was untied.

"You're up earlier than usual," he yawned as he stretched.

"Couldn't sleep," Zuko replied.

The warrior took a seat on the bed, laying back and kicking his legs out alternately.

"Do you need something, Sokka?" the firebender asked, pushing his hair out of his face.

"Just trying to have a little morning chat. Kirima is doing some sort of healing mumbo jumbo thing with the magic water stuff to try and help Suki with her morning sickness. I don't really get it," Sokka shrugged.

"Are you sure Suki didn't send you here to try and talk to me?" Zuko inquired, giving his brother-in-law a suspicious look.

The blue eyed man held up his hands innocently. "She can be very persuasive; you don't understand."

The prince snorted, splashing the water on his face. It prickled at his skin; too hot, just the way he liked it. As he ran his hand over his face, he concluded he needed a shave. Maybe he should ask Sokka about where he got his done.

He heard a shriek of pain and looked at Sokka in confusion. "What is that?"

"I don't know," the warrior frowned and looked at his sister's husband. "Sounds like Katara."

"Is she okay?" Zuko inquired.

Sokka shrugged. "I think she's getting her tattoos extended today."

"Again?" he raised his eyebrows. Hadn't she been healing the skin just the other day?

"According to Gran Gran, she's behind. Her face should have been completed last when she assumed the role. She had been spending a lot of time with Aang training him in waterbending so she never did it. In a lot of ways, Gran Gran's more of the de facto spiritual leader and Katara's still in training, so they did her face first to make it look 'right,'" Sokka explained. "But don't tell her I told you. She'll kill me."

"Duly noted."

"Sokka, have you seen Momo?" Aang said, poking his head in the room.

The two older young men looked at the bald young boy as Sokka shook his head, "Sure haven't. Have you checked where Appa is?"

"I'll do that. Oh, by the way, the Fire Lord was looking for you," he told Zuko before slipping out.

"Aang's been so weird lately," the warrior shrugged. Zuko supposed it had something to do with the woman the Avatar loved being married to someone that wasn't Aang himself. "Well, I'll see you at the blessing ceremony."

He was tempted to ask what ceremony as Sokka strolled out of the room, but decided it didn't matter. He thought the Fire Nation was overzealous about their ceremonies and festivals when he was younger. Now he realized the Fire Nation was nothing more than a pack of amateurs compared to the Southern Water Tribe.

* * *

"Zuko," Lu Ten called after him as Zuko walked down the hall to breakfast. "A word?"

The prince locked his jaw, folding his arms. He could pretend not to hear him and continue giving Lu Ten the silent treatment. He certainly deserved it.

"Please? I'm trying to apologize," the Fire Lord explained.

He stopped in his tracks, staring ahead. "Uncle told you to do so?"

"Father did, but it doesn't mean he wasn't correct in scolding me. I was wrong to speak to you in such a way. You deserved better than to be shipped off like exported goods," the taller man said. "I should have talked to you about it first."

"You should have," Zuko affirmed. "So why didn't you?"

"Because I was afraid you'd say no. I was backed into a corner by the Council and I just needed a resolution. And we didn't have any other option. The Northern Tribe doesn't have any royalty after the passing of Princess Yue during a siege by former Admiral Zhao, Chief Hakoda's son Sokka was already married to Lady Suki, and Princess Katara was the only one left. I'm married, else I would have done it myself. And it's not like your sister is a viable option." Lu Ten admitted, folding his arms in his sleeves. Sometimes he could be just like his father in his mannerisms, and sometimes he could be very proud and haughty like a typical Fire Nation nobleman. Sometimes, Zuko himself was no better.

"You could have still consulted me; I would have been unpleased but consented to it. Prepared myself. Do you realize how troubling it is for me to realize I'll never live in the Fire Nation again?" he asked.

Lu Ten looked at the floor; he always looked down when he was ashamed. "You'll be back in the Fire Nation for your wedding in the Fire Nation court-"

"But temporarily. I could have at least said goodbye to my home, my mother... the garden," Zuko added softly at the end. "I came here expecting it was a routine trip. I was shocked and slapped in the face with an arranged marriage."

"I understand if you won't forgive me," Lu Ten looked up, squaring his shoulders.

"I'm not saying I will never forgive you, but it's not going to be today," the prince said.

Lu Ten swept his arm across his waist and gave a low bow, not looking up. Much like the spiritual leader of the South Pole, the Fire Lord bowed to no one. At best, he would lower his head or lean forward, keeping his eyes straight ahead. Lu Ten was bowing to Zuko not as the Fire Lord, but as his cousin.

"You are a better man than I," Lu Ten said softly. "Thank you."

Zuko bit his tongue, nodding some. "I'll see you later for tea with Uncle."

* * *

"Where's Katara?" Sokka asked, padding around the room impatiently. "The blessing ceremony starts soon and I haven't seen her."

"I'll go look for her!" Aang volunteered.

"No, her husband will go," Kanna interrupted. "It's not appropriate for someone who isn't her husband or family to see her alone any longer."

Aang's jaw dropped in surprise at Kanna's insinuation. The elderly woman stared pointedly at Zuko as if to ask, 'Why are you not going yet?'

Toph waved her hand absently at Suki in what she must have thought was hi general direction. "Stop pussyfooting and just go already. They need the spiritual leader for their ceremony thing."

The prince sighed, going down the hall. The young man stood outside her door frame and cleared his throat. "Uh, Katara?"

No response.

"Katara? Are you in there?" he asked again, pushing the animal skin away and poking his head in.

She was sitting near a fire, her back exposed as she waited near the fire with a bowl hovering over it.

"Katara," he said again.

Her eyes snapped to attention and she looked at him, quickly turning away from him. "What are you doing?"

"I was looking for you."

"You could have called for me."

He frowned. "I did. Twice. Third time you finally heard me."

"Oh," her expression softened. "I'm sorry, I was thinking."

Should he ask her what she was thinking about? Is that the appropriate thing to do? He bit his tongue as he debated whether or not to ask when she cleared her throat and moved to her original position with her bare back to him.

"Is there something you needed, Zuko?"

He snapped to attention from his thoughts and nodded, "Oh, uh, everyone was looking for you. For the blessing ceremony."

"Of course, it's just taking me longer to clean my back since it's, well, my back," she explained.

"Uh, okay. I'll let them know then-"

"-unless could get someone to help me. It'd go faster if you would," she quickly cut in.

He pursed his lips. "Do I get a healer?" he replied, trying to look anywhere but her bare back.

"No, it's just cleaning," Katara replied, looking over her shoulder some at him. His skin was flushed and he had turned to face away from her. "Just send my grandmother or Suki something if you don't want to."

"I can do it," he said defensively. What made her think he couldn't?

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Zuko snapped.

He heard a noise and wondered what facial expression she had made to accompany it. "Okay, okay, sorry. Just clean it with this cloth," she removed the bowl from atop the fireplace and tested her fingers in it. "Be delicate, it's very tender."

Zuko walked towards her, looking at the floor a bit as he knelt down behind her. _Don't be a prude, Zuzu, you have to look at her back anyway, _Azula's voice chided in his head. He looked at her bronzed skin, flushing as she held out the cloth and bowl of water for him.

He took them gingerly in his hands, dipping the cloth in the water and wringing out any excess liquid. He gingerly patted the skin with the cloth, pulling away quickly when she trembled.

"No, it's okay," she said. "You just surprised me."

"Okay," he responded, going to resume his care. "So why can't you just heal it with your waterbending?"

"Because my waterbending sees the ink initially as an impurity and tries to expel it from my body," Katara explained. "I have to wait a few days until it's more healed or I'll have to redo parts of the tattoo immediately."

"That sounds unpleasant," he remarked.

"It is," she replied.

Another awkward silence. He resumed patting the damp cloth against her skin, unsure of why he was even doing it in the first place. His eyes marveled at how the cobalt markings danced across the top portion of her back. It stretched about a third of the way down her back and the further it went, the more collected it grew along her spine, almost like small threads.

"Why were you upset last night?" he asked finally.

She straightened her back, pulling away from his touch after the question fell from his lips and turned to look at him. "What?"

"You looked hurt when I told you Kirima healed me."

"I wasn't," she replied quickly, looking just to the side of his eyes.

"You look to the side," he said searching her eyes for a moment when they returned to meet his amber eyes.

Katara turned her head to the side. "I beg your pardon?"

"When you lie. You're smart enough not to look up or down, but you look just to the side of them," Zuko explained, shocked at himself. When had he learned that about her? As far as he thought, Katara remained every bit an enigma to him - more than any girl he had ever courted; even his sadistic sister made sense. Yet, there he was, able to pick out the tells of her lie. "You move your arm across your chest and put your hand on your opposite shoulder, too.

Her brow furrowed, trying to rationalize with him for a moment. "Your jaw locks when you lie, and you scratch behind your left ear with your right hand." Did he?

After a moment of staring at each other, trying to see which of the pair would back down first, the waterbender rose.

"I need to dress. Please wait for me outside. As my husband you'll escort me to the blessing ceremony," she explained as Zuko stood.

"Okay," he said, going to walk outside, pulling the animal pelts aside.

"Zuko," she called. He turned to look at her. "I'm a better healer than Kirima. Just... remember that in the future."

* * *

_Posted: 07/04/2012_

**A/N: **Happy Fourth of July to my US fans out there! I have over 200 reviews on this fic. This is absolutely awesome; than you guys so much for your support - praises and criticisms. I have the best readers in the world!

**elleelle: **At this moment, I don't plan on making a Katara POV chapter because this is more or less Zuko's story since he's the one struggling to adapt to this culture. However, I may or may not choose to insert one at a later point. :) So it's a no for now, but not forever. I personally have this frustration with fics that make Zuko out to be this sex god from the get-go because if you legitimately watch him in the series he is so unconfident and awkward; it's precious, but by no means is Zuko that guy in this story. I hope I'm getting it across well.

**NollasBlack: **hola preciosa, espero que esto capitulo explica lo que pasa mentre Zuko y Lu Ten.

**Boogum: **Zuko is definitely extrapolating his frustrations onto Katara/his situation with her in the last chapter. Suki doesn't know this, so she suggests that solution. ;)

**a123b: **Glad to hear I didn't take a turn for the worse LOL. I did have to redo chapter 14, but I think it definitely had a vast improvement. I hope to maintain a steady fic/story for the duration of it and not to completely spiral into cliches and bad stories.

**funkadelicfemale: **You will just have to wait and see if any Zutara babies come along!

**fingers-falling-upwards: **If there's anything I'm lacking in terms of story/quality, don't hesitate to let me know - I want to improve; I by no means presume to be this goddess of writing. If this is a matter of "I need more fic!" well, I update this fic pretty frequently, so I promise to try and quench your thirst as often as possible lol!


	16. Chapter 16: Sleeping Arrangements

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 16: Sleeping Arrangements

* * *

A few days after Suki's blessing ceremony, Zuko found himself learning the art of making a fishing net. Sokka had left him to practice in the igloo near the palace after a few demonstrations to go get some snacks when a blunt earthbender made her presence well-known.

"Ahem," she said, hands on her hips.

"Oh, Toph, how did you get here?" he asked, looking up at her from his work. "Ouch," he grumbled as he stuck himself with the needle made of bone.

"What'd you do?" she inquired at his reaction, going to plop down on the ground near him. "Suki brought me."

He nodded solemnly, then looked down to resume his practice.

"I can't hear nods, FYI," Toph remarked.

"Sorry, right, yes. Of course. How are you?" he asked.

Toph shrugged, looking in his general direction. "Waiting for my apology."

"I beg your pardon?" Zuko turned his head sideways a bit, jerking his finger away again as he pricked himself yet again.

"For snapping at me the other night. You never apologized," she stated.

"Oh," he frowned. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It was rude and I was taking my frustrations and anger out on you when you didn't deserve it and-"

"Okay, okay, yeesh, enough," she waved her hand at him absently. "A simple, 'Sorry,' would have sufficed."

"Right," he said, looking back down at the net. The wooden block that was supposed to keep the net floating above water was sewn lopsided unlike the neat one Sokka had stitched directly beside it. Hopeless. If anyone had told Zuko any time over a month and a half ago he'd be making fishing nets in the South Pole, married to a spiritual leader with tattoos on her face, and suffering through a month without a sun he would have laughed so hard he would have died from asphyxiation.

Toph lied back on the ground, drawing her knees into her chest. "Aang and I are getting off this floating hunk of ice soon. I can't wait to be on real ground soon so I can take off these stupid shoes. And I hear your cousin left this morning, too. Iroh's the last to go, right?"

"Yeah," he affirmed. When Lu Ten had left, his cousin gave him an embrace and another bow in private, apologizing yet again. The younger man simply nodded at his cousin, reciprocating the embrace, but continued to withhold an acceptance. He had never wanted to be begrudging like his father, but it felt like the only weapon in his chest these days.

"So when are you going to give Sugar Queen her betrothal necklace?" Toph asked.

The question surprised him. "To be honest, I haven't though much of it."

"Well, you should. It's super important to them. What are you gonna carve? Do you have a model? I wanna feel it!" she held her hand out after removing her glove.

"I don't," he admitted.

"Why not? Haven't you been practicing?" she made a face at him.

Zuko looked at his hands some, thankful Toph couldn't see the look of embarrassment on his face. "Yeah, but it's not anything I'm good at. I see Katara's mother's necklace and I see Suki's and I could just never carve anything like that. Whatever I carve looks... not that way."

"You sound like Twinkletoes, Sparky."

"I beg your pardon?"

She sat up and shrugged casually, speaking in a falsetto voice, "'Oh, blah, I can't earthbend, it's too hard, it's not my nature. I'm better at airbending and waterbending, blah, blah, freaking blah.'"

"Blah?"

Toph gave one nod. "Yeah, _blah_. Look Sparky, I don't know what it is with you and perfectionism and this ridiculous fear you have of messing up, but I don't think anyone really expects you to carve a necklace that puts every other one to shame. And Gramps and Gran Gran got their underwrappings all in a bunch over this necklace, so just try working on it a little bit. Or at least practice some more. And maybe even ask Snoozles for help. Believe it or not, he's actually surprisingly decent at necklace carving. Whudda thunk, right?"

"Thanks, Toph," Zuko smiled some at her.

"Don't get all mushy on me now," she teased.

* * *

The snowstorms had resumed yet again the next evening and they had taken to eating dinner inside yet again. He never thought he would actually be happy at the thought of eating outside again.

"Katara has informed me you've yet to consummate your marriage," Kanna said matter-of-factly.

The broth Zuko had just spooned into his mouth were promptly expelled in an even spray across the table.

"Gran Gran!" Sokka and Katara shouted simultaneously.

"I'm simply stating something that should be addressed. Consummation is important to a marriage," Kanna said, continuing to eat along with the other adults. Hakoda pretended not to look phased, but Zuko highly doubted any father was alright with the idea his daughter being deflowered - married, or not. On top of that, Aang's face was several shades of red.

"I would like to hear Zuko's explanation. Does he not find her appealing?" Kanna asked. "She certainly is no Princess Yue-"

"Thanks, Gran Gran," Katara muttered, shooting her a dark look.

Zuko had met Princess Yue once when he was sixteen right before the war, and he had to admit - she _was _a beautiful woman. She had white hair, clean as fresh snow and neatly pulled away from her face, and blue eyes that were the color of the sky.

Katara, on the other hand, was a bit shorter, and curvier with wild hair that she kept tamed with braids and adorned with beads and feathers. Half the time, she had it pulled aside in a haphazard ponytail or braid to keep it from her dark blue eyes, rivaling the ocean in color. She was completely the opposite of any woman he had been attracted to or courted when he was younger.

"Your granddaughter is a beautiful woman, Kanna. I assure you that isn't the cause," he replied, looking at Katara. As soon as the words fell from his lips he immediately looked back down at his bowl. Since when had he considered Katara beautiful? No doubt there was a certain charm to her, a certain uniqueness he could appreciate when she wasn't yelling or attacking him, _but_ he wouldn't consciously admit (out loud, anyway) that Katara was beautiful.

"I see," Kanna said, taking another bite.

He felt a pair of eyes boring into his skull and he looked up to see Aang's jaw almost to the floor and Katara's eyes mirroring surprise.

"Are you gay?"

"Gran Gran!" Katara shrieked, moving to stand and flipping over a pot of sea prune stew over the table.

"Shit!" Sokka cursed as the pot splashed towards him.

"Look out!"

Everyone scattered backwards from the spilt dinner.

"Clean this up," Kanna said to her granddaughter.

Katara scowled, moving her hands to pull up the spilled broth from the table. "You're the one who-"

"-simply asked a question. Do couples not traditionally consummate marriages on a wedding night in the Fire Nation, General Iroh?" Kanna asked pointedly.

Zuko shot his uncle a dark look as Iroh chimed in, "Oh, it's a must for any nobility. Often a woman is required to show the bed sheets to prove such an act transpired for the royal family as well."

The firebender buried his head in his hands, his face matching the color of his crimson parka. "Uncle-"

"I don't see why such young people get flustered over such a basic thing as sex. Katara, you used to be much more mature about such matters. Now you're like a blushing school girl," her grandmother remarked, shaking her head. "No matter, we've been patient enough - I think it's time you share a room. We won't go to the measures of the Fire Nation, but sharing a space will hopefully make you two more prone to acting on your natural instincts.

"More stewed tigerseal anyone?" Kanna offered a piece to Hakoda.

* * *

"So," Zuko said, analyzing their sleeping situation in front of the door.

"So," Katara repeated, standing to his right.

The bed was large, surprisingly, and theoretically the two could sleep without touching one another but he was prone to moving about in his sleep. In his younger days, sometimes he would wake up facing the opposite end of the bed. Recently he had grown out of that, but he would still wake up diagonally, and something told him Katara wouldn't take kindly to waking with a firebender's head on her back.

"Any chance of your grandmother backing down?" he asked lamely.

The waterbender gave a forced laugh (was she being polite?) and shook her head, "Doubtful. Gran Gran is as stubborn as they come when it comes to tradition."

"Hm, really? That's weird - I haven't met anyone like that here in the South Pole," he replied dryly.

"Charming, Zuko," Katara narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, maybe we can just suck it up and do it."

"Do what?" his voice trembled. She wanted to have sex just to appease her family?

"You know," she motioned her hands at the bed. "Share the bed?"

"Seriously?" he lifted his eyebrows. Wasn't she in love with another man? How could she be so cavalier about sex? Maybe in the Water Tribe, things were different. Beggars couldn't be choosers, and they seemed to be a much more open culture when it came to the art of lovemaking.

The waterbender nodded. "Yeah, we'll just put a pillow in between us to make a boundary. No one can cross that line."

"Oh." _Duh. _"Right, yeah, well, about that."

"Don't tell me you're a kicker," she frowned.

"A what?" he moved to loosen his boots some.

"A kicker. You know... you kick when you sleep. Sokka used to do that and it hurt like hell; you'd think he was kicking for his life or something," she explained.

Zuko heated the water in the pitcher before pouring it into the large basin at the small table. "No, I'm not a kicker."

"A cuddler? Do you snuggle your pillows or something?" He turned to look at her as she looked directly to the left of his eyes. "Because I get hot and I don't do the snuggling thing."

"Right," he said, unconvinced. Had he not some how subconsciously identified her 'secret' tell, he would have known by the amount of animal skins he saw piled on her bed the other night. She_ definitely_ got cold.

Katara sighed impatiently as she struggled to get her boot off before falling onto the bed backwards. "Well, what is it?"

"I just - ugh, never mind," he sighed, splashing some water on his face. "Just give me a pillow and some animal skins and I'll sleep on that animal skin rug near the fire."

"What if someone comes in?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"What? You think Kanna's gonna come strolling in here casually while her granddaughter and grandson-in-law are _supposed _to be doing the deed?" he made a face. "That's a little kinky, even for the Water Tribe."

Did he just use the word 'kinky?'

"I see your point," Katara scrunched up her nose. She liked to do that whenever she was thinking really hard. "Well, are you sure - you really sure about sleeping on the floor?" He wondered if she was asking sincerely or just being polite.

_Katara's too honest to be polite; she's made it well known on multiple occasions she had no intentions of liking you. Why would now be any different? _

"I'm sure, Katara. While I accept one day we have to go through with it, I also accept that tonight isn't the night either. Neither of us are ready."

She snorted. "Got that right."

He furrowed his brow; just what the hell was that supposed to mean?

"Well, go pretend to get something to eat or whatever while I change or something. Come back in two minutes." Not a request, but another demand. She was really bossy.

"Please," he folded his arms, looking at her square in the eye.

"_Please_, Zuko," she said.

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, walking outside towards the entrance to the palace. Sokka was standing there, staring a the full moon.

"What's the moon like in the Fire Nation?" Sokka asked after a moment, not breaking his intense look.

Zuko shrugged. "Pretty. Not this big, and we don't have the aurora either, but it's still pretty. The sun is what we're famous for," he replied.

"Aren't you supposed to be-" Sokka began after a moment.

"Don't ask," the firebender shook his head, leaning against the balcony.

The blue eyed warrior gave a stiff nod. "Suki doesn't know that I come out here to look at the moon."

"Are you having an affair with the moon or something?" Zuko asked, half joking.

"You could say that I'm in love with the moon," Sokka replied.

Had he been drinking? The firebender leaned in to give a small sniff for the trace smell of the potent icebomb.

"Woah, there, personal space, bro," the warrior leaned away.

"Sorry, I just - uh, you're in love with the moon? Like, Tui?" According to the Water Tribes, Tui was one of the most beautiful women in the entire Spirit World. Maybe Sokka was spiritually enlightened; maybe he met her... or something. Or maybe he was crazy. Zuko was leaning towards the latter.

"Princess Yue," the warrior explained. "I don't know if you know her; Gran Gran mentioned her at dinner. She was beautiful. More than any woman - aside from Suki, of course - that I had ever seen. When that bastard Zhao went to the Northern Water Tribe to lay siege, he killed the princess. And she was named for the moon because her hair was pure white. We used to look at the moon together and I just," he sighed, starting to speak quickly and his words began to run together. "The moon reminds me of her, and I guess it's Yue I'm in love with but not the moon, but I kind of imagine Yue as the spirit of the moon. You know what I'm saying?"

Zuko pursed his lips. Were they having a bonding moment? What should he say? He cleared his throat. "That's, uh, well that's rough, buddy."

Sokka stared at the moon for a brief moment later before leaning up and clapping Zuko on the shoulder. "Well, I gotta get back. Suki'll probably be missing me if I don't. Have a good night," he smiled. "But not too good! That is my sister!"

The prince held his hands up innocently, waiting for Sokka to walk inside before returning to the his room - his _and Katara's _room.

When he stepped inside, he saw she had already climbed into bed and was clutching a pillow tightly. Near the fire was a makeshift bed on the thick, plush animal skin rug complete with animal skin blankets and two pillows. It wasn't a bed, but it would do for tonight. He and Katara would have to discuss sleeping arrangements in greater detail later on because it couldn't last forever.

He lied back after changing into his thick sleeping clothes, pulling the blankets over him and staring at the emerald reflections on the ice, thinking about what Sokka had said. After a moment, he finally pulled out one of the grey stones Sokka had given him right after he caught the moonstone several weeks ago.

He thought about Toph's words, and watching as the orange glow from the fire made small shadows on the stone, then sat upright and pulled the small carving knife from his boot.

It was worth a try.

* * *

_Posted: 07/06/2012_

**A/N: **Another chapter down! I seem to be having my writing ~*muse*~ come to me in the morning after my early morning runs. I guess take what you can get, right? ;)

**dian247: **que bueno; español es el mio tambien pero yo hablo y escribo ingles mejor porque yo he vivido en los estados unidos todo la vida jaja.

**elleelle: **haha, we women tend not to be very direct, no? Can't answer that question, I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I promise I wouldn't introduce a character/plot line and not resolve it. ;)

**CrystleIceFire: **hm, you know? I actually didn't even think of doing that. So thanks for the idea! I might actually implement that. ;)

**Reconaruto: **Katara and Aang's relationship will be addressed, I promise.

**MizJoely: **Alas, the great enemy of any writer - errors! Feel free to point out any glaring ones; I proofread before I publish, but you always seem to miss a few here or there.

**Kimberly T: **Zuko and Sokka will definitely have more bonding moments soon! Zuko's skills outside firebending will be touched on soon as well.

**amore1993: **I am presuming by your question if the rating will go to M is more of a, "Will there be smut?" The answer is no to both. Basically - if you wouldn't see it in a PG-13 movie, it's not gonna happen here. Sorry!

**Peace215: **There's a lot of this story to go still (lol ugh it's gonna be a long one - what have I gotten myself into?), so there's a lot of things that have yet to be touched on. Really, we're just touching the tip of the iceberg!


	17. Chapter 17: One Hundred Percent

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 17: One Hundred Percent

* * *

Zuko suspected Sokka took great pride in stirring the firebender in the mornings to go fishing. While hunting and tracking game was something the golden eyed man was fairly decent at, fishing was a complete mystery but they would be using the nets he had sewn. He couldn't tell if it was out of politeness or because they were actually decent. It was most likely the former.

"Can I ask you something?" Sokka grunted as he pushed the small fishing boat closer to the edge of the glacier before jumping inside.

There had finally been a break in the unrelenting heavy snow storms and the snow was shifting from soft, crunchy white powder to hard, slippery ice. He dug his heels in a bit, using his shoulder to give another shove on the boat before it finally slid in the water. Zuko put his hands on the edge of the boat and swung his feet in.

"Well?" he replied to the warrior, waiting for his question.

"Why'd your dad start a war? We didn't do anything."

The prince blinked in surprise at Sokka's candor; he knew it had been everyone's burning question and truthfully he was almost more shocked it had taken this long for anyone to ask. The Water Tribe was blunt and straightforward - a trait he had yet to become accustomed to after years of sycophants and courtesy from the Fire Nation's court. Such a question would never be asked so lightly, but the way Sokka asked made it seem like it was as simple as asking what Zuko's favorite color was.

"Believe it or not," he began reaching to maneuver the boat with the oar. "I don't know."

This must not have been the response his brother-in-law was looking for, because Sokka turned to look over his shoulder a bit. Zuko couldn't help but notice the similarity of Sokka's nose to a certain spiritual leader's.

"Really? I, uh, I mean, wow."

"What? Did you think my dad just plopped me down in his study and said, 'Zuko, son, we're going to attack the Water Tribes, and here's why,' or something?" the firebender snorted.

Sokka shrugged. "I mean, kinda, yeah."

"Well, trust me, if my dad was going to sit me down and say anything, it wouldn't have been an explanation or even praise," Zuko muttered while giving alternating strokes with his oar to navigate the small boat through the floating blocks of ice. "My father said jump, and as a son, I was expected to reply, 'How high?' So I did. When my father said, 'We're going to war,' I said, 'Okay.'"

"Oh, there's a clearing up ahead, we'll stop there to fish. And don't you ever question what someone tells you?"

The firebender cleared his throat, "Would you question your father, or your grandmother? I was trying to be a loyal son and if he wasn't satisfied, he'd make damn sure I would know what a worthless son I was for it."

"Bro, your dad is kind of a flaming douche bag. Ha, flaming," the younger man snorted at his own joke.

"A what?" Zuko inquired.

"A douche bag? It's, hm," the warrior stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It's a not so-classy way to say someone is kind of an asshole. It's Earth Kingdom slang. If you want to know, a douche bag is actually a-"

"Sokka, I don't want to know."

The cerulean eyed man waved his hand at Zuko absently as they glided on the water. In the moment of silence, the prince looked over the edge to realize it looked like they were gliding along a sea of stars. It was quite beautiful, and almost hypnotizing.

"Hand me the net," Sokka instructed, retracting his oar and placing it at his feet. Zuko repeated the action, then reached to do as the young man asked.

"It's best to fish with spears during the day when you can see but-"

"Daylight's not for another couple weeks, yeah," Zuko cut in, helping the young man to ensure the net wasn't tangled.

The tribesman checked the small pieces of wood fastened to net then they lowered it into the water. "We'll come back to check in a few days on this one. Let's go over here to check the nets cast a few days ago."

"Got it," Zuko pulled the oar out and began paddling again.

* * *

"Zuko?" Aang asked while Zuko worked on sanding the side of a boat.

He looked up from his work and wiped the sweat from his forehead on his sleeve. The prince never expected to be sweating in subzero temperatures, but the Water Tribe had a knack for breaking every single one of his expectations on a daily basis.

"Yes, Avatar Aang?" he replied.

"Could I have a moment of your time?" the grey eyed boy said. His eyes were down to the floor and Zuko could gather the young man had a hard time asserting himself. Oddly enough, the prince found himself facing the same difficulties as of late.

Zuko shrugged. "I guess so. What do you need?"

"It's about Katara."

Of course it was about Katara. Aang had made a point not to talk to the firebender since he had arrived except when absolutely required. The amber eyed man looked at the Avatar.

"What about her?"

Aang inhaled and stared quietly at the crackling fire, doing what Zuko assumed to be mustering up courage to speak. He resumed his work of smoothing the side of the boat, wondering when the other Water Tribe warriors would return to help him. Or if. Maybe Aang asked them to wait outside.

"I love her," Aang finally said after a few moments of silence.

Without looking up, Zuko replied, "I know you do."

"She told me you heard us."

The firebender made a noise of confirmation. "I did."

"Good. I thought it would be good for us to clear the air. This is a really awkward position for everyone and I just," Aang sighed. "I don't know."

"You love her, she loves you, I'm the son of an evil bastard, I got it. I don't need you to come in here and remind me I'm in a loveless marriage in a place that isn't my home; I can respect yours and Katara's feelings for each other, and I will honor them at all times," Zuko said calmly. "But I don't appreciate you asking my wife to annul her marriage to me for selfish reasons either. You're the Avatar; you of all people have seen the devastation firsthand of this war. This union is important to a lot of people."

"But-"

Zuko finally looked up from his work. "Avatar Aang, I am not dismissing your feelings or hers. I do not expect to make her fall in love with me, nor do I expect to fall in love with her. I would like us to at least be amicable and work towards maintaining peace between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe, but I believe Kanna was correct. We need to be honorable about this.."

"I would never do something to-"

"But you already did. You asked her to annul our marriage on our wedding night," he pointed out. "I see the way Sokka, Toph, Suki, and Katara are around you. You seem like a nice kid, but there's nothing to be done about this situation."

The airbender stood in front of the young man, blinking rapidly and trying to process what Zuko had just said. He looked down again, his cheeks turning pink.

"I... sorry. I'm not good with people," Zuko said after a moment. Was he going to cry? He held his breath in hopes that he wouldn't.

"It's my fault anyway," Aang said after a few minutes. "I promise Katara and I haven't and won't do anything dishonorable."

Zuko nodded. "I believe you."

"Aang! Check it out, I got my sword all sharpened," Sokka said, bursting into the igloo and presenting the sword proudly. He looked between the two young men, sensing the awkward tension in the room.

"You practice swordsmanship?" Zuko asked.

He jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb. "Best swordsman in all of the South Pole."

"I practice it as well; perhaps we can practice together one day. Would help me keep my skills sharp," he suggested.

"I can't wait to kick your ass," Sokka joked.

The firebender smiled to himself and resumed his work of sanding the boat.

* * *

Zuko walked past the healing hut on his way to have tea with his uncle when he saw his wife pulling water and hovering it over a blubbering child's arm.

"Arrluk, what have I said about playing near the cliff?" she asked, focusing on his arm.

"Not to do it," the child hiccuped.

Katara flicked her wrist and returned the water to the bowl, then tapped his nose with her finger. "Please don't play around there anymore. You promise me that, and I promise not to tell your mother."

"I promise!" he said, putting a fist over his heart. Katara returned the gesture and the young boy bowed to her then scurried out.

"Oh! Hi, Ataala!" the child said bumping into Zuko, and mimicking the bow he showed Katara.

Hesitantly, Zuko put his fist over his chest and mirrored the action. "Um, hello."

"Goodbye!" Arrluk smiled, then left. Ataala? What the hell did that mean?

"It means 'father' in the old language," Katara said, as if she was reading his mind. She was looking at him from near the fire and tapped her forehead with her thumb twice to encourage him to enter. "To them, I am Annivik, or 'mother,' and you are Ataala, or 'father.' Traditionally, the Ataala was the chief of the village and Annivik was the spiritual leader, but things have changed recently. Annivik is kept with the spiritual leader, and since you're my husband, you're Ataala instead of my father or later on my brother."

"Oh," he blinked. "I see now."

She laughed a bit. "You're whiter than the snow. Relax, it's something like being called, 'Your Grace,' in the Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom. It's a name of respect, nothing more. Family doesn't use that name, though, so that's probably why you haven't heard it until now."

"How's your, uh, back?" he asked, tapping his own with his hand.

"It's doing much better, thank you. Was there something you needed, or were you just curious about healing?"

"Uh, I, uh, I have to go get tea with my uncle," he said quickly.

She smiled a bit, nodding her head, then closed her eyes to do what Zuko presumed was meditating. He strolled out of the hut and walked inside the palace where Pakku and Iroh were sharing an intense game of paisho.

"Uncle," Zuko said. "You wanted to have tea?"

"Oh, yes, please sit and join us," he smiled, patting beside him. The firebender sat beside his uncle and watched as Iroh stroked his beard with his index finger and thumb. "Hm."

"So, Prince Zuko," Pakku asked, pouring a cup of tea and handing it to his new in-law. "Have you given any consideration towards the necklace you're carving for Lady Katara?"

He looked at his hands for a minute.

"I believe my nephew struggles with the fine art of carving a stone; it's not a tradition we practice in the Fire Nation."

"Ah, yes," Pakku replied. "Give me one of your practice stones and the knife."

Zuko handed them over and watched as the master waterbender burned the tip of small wooden stick sitting near a candle. He drew on the stone with the burn stick. "Not even a master carver can simply design from his mind. You'll of course have to shave the stone down and polish it to get it really shining, then you trace the pattern with the burned tip. It'll come off with water and soap if you mess up, then you start carving."

His grandfather-in-law tossed the stone back to him, then went to move a piece on the board.

"Uh, thanks. Sokka never suggested I do that," he replied, pocketing the stone.

"Oddly enough that kid's pretty ingenious at carving. I can only reason that it's some sort of cosmic joke," Pakku replied dryly and groaning a bit as Iroh claimed one of his pieces. "Every single time..."

* * *

"What are you doing?" Katara asked as she came into the bedroom after dinner.

Zuko was hunched near the fire practicing shaving down the grey stone. "Practicing."

"Practicing what?" she moved to look over his shoulder.

He hid the stone against his body. "No peeking."

"Yeesh, okay. Didn't know you were gonna personalize it, I was just trying to make conversation," she waved a hand at him and went to fill a basin with water to wash her face and scrub her teeth.

"I'm not personalizing it, I just am trying to do your tradition properly."

Katara looked at him from the reflection of the mirror. "It amazes me how seriously you take all our traditions for being an outsider, no offense. I mean, Suki took them to heart but she wasn't as intense. Some things she was like, 'I'm from Kyoshi, so I won't be perfect at it,' and well, I don't have to tell you about Toph."

"I was raised to put everything into what I do. Give one hundred percent, one hundred percent of the time."

"I'm not questioning it, I'm... admiring it. It takes a lot of dedication," she coughed. "Could you, um, the water?"

He rose and put his hand in the water, concentrating as he warmed it. His body was beginning to long for the warm embrace of the sun.

"How much do you miss it?"

"Do I miss what?" he asked, opening his eyes and checking the temperature. "It's good."

She splashed her face with water. "The Fire Nation."

"Almost as much as I miss my mother. Almost," he said. "I guess, well, it's my home, but it's not so much the palace I miss but being able to wake up with the sun. The hot humid air, surprisingly, and the festivals. The food, and just... I don't know. Everything, really, because it all reminds me of my mom."

Katara put a hand on his shoulder. "I miss my mom, too. As selfish as it seems, that's why I'm happy I got to stay here. But I was thinking," she said. "During the summer, we'll have midnight sun, and-"

"And?" he waited for her to finish her thought.

"My grandmother and your cousin, they talked and they thought..."

"Out with it," he folded his arms.

She sucked in a bit of air. "If we spend time in the Fire Nation. Kind of, divide the time."

"Your grandmother was okay with that? But aren't you the spiritual leader? Don't you have some duties to stay here or something?"

"Yeah, but Fire Lord Lu Ten kind of put his foot down. He said it wasn't fair, and that the Water Tribe could stand to do without me for at least a few weeks for me to let my husband visit his family. He uh, well, he kind of looked like you when you get determined to win. Family traits, I guess," Katara removed her parka and removed the silver bangles from her arms. "Think it over."

"I will," he replied, then sat back by the fire as she prepared herself for bed. Zuko pulled out the stone from his pocket and took the scorched tip of a wooden stick. He thought for a moment before he began tracing a design. It was the shape of his mother's family's royal crest.

* * *

_Posted: 07/11/2012_

**A/N: **Writer's block was really a toughie with this chapter. The dynamic between Aang and Zuko was really challenging to write as well. aksjdkajs. just. aksdjaksdja. Hopefully this little block goes away soon lol. :(

**xoxsillygoose: **I believe I mentioned this before but every time I read a fic where Zuko is the god of sex I cringe a little bit. The guy's a completely awkward turtle duck! I'd be surprised if he even knew what a vagina was, tbh lol. You will have to see about Yue; her story's still not completely out in the open yet.

**Kimberly T: **lol nice going! With respect to Aang, the world isn't nearly at the level that it was at the end of the original series so for argument's sake, he doesn't necessarily have anywhere he desperately needs to be, and he's hanging around his friends. As for the war, I actually had that part he touched on with Sokka written before I read your review (are you a mind reader?) so it basically confirms a lot of what you summarized. I'll try to work more of the back story on the war into the story as gracefully as possible without it being too much of a tl;dr summary for the curious mind. While Zuko had a limited role in the events of the war, there are still some key members who haven't bowed out completely... _yet_.

**a123b: **gee, I honestly haven't given 100% consideration to it. Probably, at the least, around 30 chapters.


	18. Chapter 18: The Anguish of Guilt

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Polar Nights**

Chapter 18: The Anguish of Guilt

* * *

It never ceased to amaze Zuko at the burdens and expectations placed on every member of the tribe; the chief himself contributed to hunting, and Katara's duties varied from routine healing sessions to cleaning animals from the hunt and everything in between. Today, her chores involved laundry - which oddly enough, happened more frequently than the teenaged prince would have ever imagined. Normally she would have had the assistance of another female in the tribe, but his wife decided that a waterbender and firebender would be the most practical combination of efforts.

"So, what's the Fire Nation's palace like?" Katara asked as she added water to a large basin with her bending.

"Well, the royal family doesn't do its own laundry for starters," he said, holding up a pair of thick leggings and eyeing them suspiciously.

"Oh, you have servants for that, of course," she replied, bending over to sort the laundry into different piles. "Can you heat up the water and get the soap?"

He looked around for a moment, trying to locate the soap.

"It's over there," Katara pointed at a shelf, and he walked over to grab it, grunting a bit as he reached up.

"Do you have servants for everything?" she asked, watching him carefully.

"Well, yeah," he replied.

Katara wrinkled her nose. "Even for bathing you?"

The prince flushed. "I, uh, well, when I was younger, yes," he admitted, going to add his hand to the water so he could heat it.

"Your mother didn't do that for you?" she inquired next. His jaw locked and his shoulders grew tense, and Katara must have noticed because she quickly apologized. "Sorry, that's none of my business."

"She did when I was a baby, but my mother also had responsibilities to my father as Fire Lady," he explained. "Sometimes, she wasn't able to care for me."

The sapphire eyed woman looked at him for a moment, chewing on her cheek before she took the soap from him. "Do you wash your own clothes when you're abroad?"

"No, never. We either have someone on the ship or we pay someone in a village," he admitted.

Katara nodded, adding some of the soap to the water. "You can light the fire underneath the basin so it stays warm, too," she explained. Zuko obliged her request, finding a little strain in some of the simpler firebending tasks. Was he out of practice, or was it the polar nights?

The waterbender waved her hands to summon more water and added it to another basin. "If it's not too much trouble, heat the fire under it. It'll boil on its own, and then I'll show you how to wash clothes."

"You're going to teach me how to do laundry?" he snorted at himself. "No disrespect but-"

"Growing up in the Fire Nation, you didn't exactly plan on being here washing your brother-in-law's clothing," Katara finished. "I get it."

He concentrated his inner fire for a moment, then thrusted his fist forward and sent a concentrated jet of flame towards the tinder under the second basin of water. "There you go."

"Is it getting more difficult to firebend?" she asked curiously, finally collecting a pile of what looked to be underwrappings in her arms and bringing them to the side of the tub.

"It's... more difficult, but not impossible," Zuko said after thinking for a moment. "A firebender rises with the sun; it's hard to explain, we just feel this connection to the sun. In the summer, I feel it stronger than the winter, and it's just fatiguing without it. I don't think anyone's ever died from it, but it becomes rather unpleasant to go excessive periods of time without it."

"Waterbenders are like that during the summer. We call it midnight sun madness," Katara explained. "Sometimes the nonbenders get it, and during the polar nights, too but that's less frequent. Mostly though waterbenders get afflicted. It feels like," she paused for a moment.

"It feels like you're completely disconnected from your element," Zuko finished for her.

"Right," she replied as she nodded. "Now watch me."

The waterbender dumped her armful of linen undergarments into the basin and began stirring it with a long pole. "These get changed the most, so they're actually not as dirty as you would think. No scrubbing really required."

"So you just stir it?" he asked, making a bit of a face. "That's it?"

"For these, yeah. They tend not to be too dirty, and since they're delicate we don't want to scrub them," she explained. "Gran Gran used to tell me it's just like making a giant thing of soup, and the white wrappings are the noodles."

"Huh," Zuko mused to himself. "I guess that's a way to get a small child to do it." He vaguely remembered his nursemaid telling him broccoli were small trees and he was a giant to get him to eat them. In retrospect, he felt very silly about it.

"Are you kidding? This was last year," she pouted.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he looked down.

"Just kidding!" Katara laughed, snorting a bit. Her hand immediately flocked to her face in embarrassment. "Sorry!"

Zuko decided doing laundry wasn't as bad as he originally imagined.

* * *

The firebender quickly changed his mind when he discovered stirring heavy parkas with a giant pole in a huge basin was more exhausting than a day of rigorous training. When Sokka asked him to practice their sword skills, Zuko found himself politely declining the offer.

"Tomorrow," he promised.

"Aw, man," Sokka whined. "Fine. Oh, by the way, Aang and Toph are leaving at the end of the week. I think Aang has to go visit the Northern Water Tribe and Toph's gonna go back to Ba Sing Se to do whatever it is she does in her free time."

"They are?" Zuko asked, surprised. He wondered if this had anything to do with the conversation between himself and Aang a few days ago.

Sokka nodded. "We'll miss 'em, but, you know how it is. Air Nomads gotta nomad it up," he snickered, pleased with his 'joke.'

"How did you.. meet them?" the firebender inquired out of curiosity.

"Toph and Aang? Oh, well, Aang came to the South Pole to find a waterbending master maybe a year ago or so? At that point, Katara was the last waterbender left but she was the opposite of a master. She could barely make a water whip," he snickered. "Don't tell her I said that, though. She'll have a conniption.

"Anywho, Aang offered to take Katara with him to the North Pole so she could learn waterbending. Katara hopped on the back of Appa and never looked back. I was with Dad in the North Pole at that time strategizing defense. We were furious she just abandoned the South Pole, but then there was the Siege of the North, and she stayed. After that, Dad sent me on to make sure she got home. Then we met Toph on the way back, and sort of took our sweet time going back," Sokka admitted. "Gran Gran was mad as a wild polar bear dog protecting her cubs, but she eventually came to understand why Katara did it. She said that Katara's adventure will make her wiser and a more enlightened ruler."

He expected there was plenty more stories and details to go along with Sokka's summation, but he decided he'd find out more. After all, he did have a lifetime to get to know Katara and her family.

"What were you doing when were doing that?" Sokka asked.

Zuko looked at him and thought for a moment before answering, "I was sent to negotiate with the Earth Kingdom to try and make sure we wouldn't get attacked by them."

"Didn't want to get stabbed in the back when you were facing the North," Sokka remarked.

"No, my father didn't want his 'idiot' son near the war. Why do that when there was my sister: a cunning, brilliant military strategist?" Zuko muttered bitterly.

The warrior frowned a bit. "I used to resent Katara a little bit. Mostly when I was younger. Now that I'm older, I just tend to be a bit envious."

"You do? But why? You guys have a good relationship. There's no need for you to be resentful or envious," the amber eyed man furrowed his brow.

Sokka shrugged. "It's not that she did anything, it's just... she's a waterbender. Even when she couldn't move a pile of snow, she was still respected more than I was because she was going to become the spiritual leader," he explained. "Katara's never been horrible to me, but I guess I just wanted to be as special as she was. _Especially _when I was younger. I feel guilty about it, to be honest."

"Azula never missed a chance to give me hell," Zuko told his brother-in-law. "She was born great, and according to her and my father, I wasn't. I'm pretty sure Father planned on stripping my right to the throne and giving it to Azula had Lu Ten not reconquered the crown."

The warrior folded his arms and clapped Zuko on the shoulder. "I'm sorry. At least you're here now. If we don't like you, we'll just cut you up and use you as bait."

The prince's eyes grew wide. "What!"

"Just kidding!"

* * *

"Uncle, have you seen Katara?" Zuko asked, peeking in the room to see Kanna and Iroh sharing a pot of tea.

The pair backed away instantly and looked at him with shock. "I'm sorry, nephew, what did you say?" Iroh looked at him, looking at Kanna out of the corner of his eye.

"She should be in the healing huts. There's an ill child she is working on healing," Kanna explained.

"Thanks," he replied, looking between the two of them. "Is everything okay?"

Iroh smiled at him reassuringly. "Of course, Prince Zuko," he said in a sugary tone. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Hm, right," Zuko said, then turned to walk towards the healing hut.

Outside, he heard muffled sobs of a female. The prince pushed aside the animal skins quickly to see his wife on the floor, her hands covering her face.

"Katara, what happened?" he asked, beginning to panick. Zuko didn't do well with crying females. They made him exceptionally nervous, and he rarely was able to find the appropriate thing to say to console her.

"I-I-I couldn't," she hiccuped.

He was frozen in place, trying to think of what to do or what to say. Contrary to palace rumors, his experience with women was limited and he hadn't been faced with the scenario of a crying girl in over fifteen years. He saw Mai upset once, but she told him to just leave her alone and he was more than happy to oblige his friend.

"Couldn't what?" Zuko finally asked, kneeling down on the ground next to her. "What couldn't you do?"

"He died, okay!" she shrieked. "Are you happy!"

Tears were a mystery, but anger he could work with.

"Why would a dead child make me happy?" he frowned.

"Because you come in here and ask me these stupid questions, pretending to care," she replied hotly.

He sighed. "Just tell me what happened."

"I couldn't heal the child. I couldn't heal this one, or the one before that, or the one before that, or the one before that, either! They just keep dying and it's all my fault!" she choked out, pulling at her hair some.

Zuko felt his knees growing damp and looked to see she had exploded a jug with her outburst. He returned his attention to her. "Why would it be your fault? The Water Tribes have high infant mortality rates because of the climate - it isn't your fault."

"Why wouldn't it be? I'm the spiritual leader - I'm the best healer in the South Pole, and I let another set of parents down. That should be my title - not Annivik!"

What had his mother done to him when he had nightmares? He closed his eyes and concentrated hard, trying to remember what she had done to soothe his wails.

Finally he wrapped his hand around one of her wrists and took her hand in his, massaging it gently. "It isn't your fault, Katara. Even if you want it to be, it isn't."

"It should be," she sniffled, wiping her eyes with her free hand. "What are you doing?"

"When I was a child, I used to have night terrors. I don't really know why, but they were so vivid and terrifying," he explained. "My mother used to do this to get me to stop crying. Then she would do this," Zuko added, going to start rubbing on either side of her neck with two fingers, "until I fell asleep. It's a chi massage."

"I've never heard of that before," she wiped her nose on her sleeve.

He shrugged. "It must be a Fire Nation thing, then. I think the nursemaid taught her so she could tend to me when she was around."

"I'm sorry I yelled," Katara said, looking at him.

Zuko snorted some, "I'm used to it by now."

"That's not funny," she frowned.

"Sorry," he sighed. "Are you feeling better?"

"I mean in the sense that I shouldn't do that to you. But I still don't feel completely okay; it is a little better though. I - oh, what did you come in here for again?" she asked when he finally dropped his hands.

"Oh, oh," he finally remembered his reasons. "I was going to give you something. I heard your mother's birthday was tomorrow."

Katara's eyes grew glassy again and he thought she was going to start crying again. The waterbender inhaled sharply as if to compose herself, and she nodded. "It is."

"Here," he said, holding her mother's necklace out. "I, uh, I thought you should have it back."

"You're giving it back to me even after I yelled at you just now?" the cerulean eyed teenager took the necklace back and wrapped her fingers around it delicately, pressing the necklace over her chest protectively.

"You apologized, and Uncle says I shouldn't hold grudges, and, yeah, I guess," he rose and looked at the ground, feeling incredibly embarrassed. "I just would hate it if anyone was holding something of my mother's over my head when her birthday was tomorrow. I would want that thing to remember her by and all."

Katara pursed her lips. "I mean, I'll have to stop wearing it when you give me your betrothal necklace."

He shook his head as he made his way for the door. "Don't. You... wear that necklace. It's better than anything I'll ever make."

As he pushed the animal pelts aside to leave, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist for a brief moment. "Thank you. This means everything to me."

Zuko gave a stiff nod. "Let me know if you... need to talk or whatever," he said, then walked out.

* * *

_Posted: 07/15/2012_

**A/N: **Okay, kiddos, we had a little Zutara bonding there, finally. It's coooooming, I promise, thanks for staying patient. My brain cannot function from all the new spoilers revealed at comic con for book 2 of LoK. I just I can't even... my brain is now mush, and my feels are reduced to nothing. sooooooobs. I cannot absolutely wait. Oh, and it's also Zutara week! Awesome! I'm sorry this took so long to get out! I've been extra busy with work. :(

**Sarahplainntall: **Nooo! I won't be abandoning this fic; I had a bout of writer's block so I'm trying to work through it lol. Sorry for any concerns, I am doing my best to push through it. I find if I have a lot of things to work on, it helps me keep from getting burned out/tired on one thing. I'm a natural multitasker lol.

**Jane Keyboard: **Thanks for all your thoughts! I love Enslaved! sharkflip's a great writer; I'd be lying if I said Enslaved didn't partially inspire this story, but I definitely agree her take is undoubtedly more AU than this. Thanks for all your constructive criticism. I think part of the charm to Avatar is the humor, but this is definitely a really adult-type situation and I wanted to make it serious. I feel like a lot of politically married Zutara stories have been entirely *too* lighthearted with respect to the more mature issues (aside from comedic disagreements/bickering). And obviously we can all agree Zuko and Katara come fully equipped with baggage.

**Advocaat: **Ah, thanks for all your feedback/comments! :) There's a lot more to come into play with the Fire Nation, and it is coming VERY SOON to a chapter near you. :3 ugh as for my action scenes, thank you for the compliment but I think they need a lot more love lol! That's something I plan on continuing to work on. (Action sequences are just so much better seen than read and I find it difficult to put it into words!) I think yours are great though! :)

**snarkhunter: **I guess depending on the AU I could maybe buy it but c'mon - in terms of the Avatarverse, the guy is beyond a shadow of a doubt not great with people, let alone women. cough cough his date with Jin.

I'll do my best to try and keep up with the updates but c'est la vie, life is sometimes not conducive to fanfic writing. ALSO - I am just shy of 300 reviews! This is awesome! You guys are absolutely fabulous and I cannot thank you enough for your feedback/support. :) In addition to the reviewers, I want to thank my ghost readers, especially the ones who put me and/or my story on favorites or alert. It means a lot to me!


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